


Blood Rites

by voxofthevoid



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe – Demons, Canon Divergence, Canon Universe, Eren Yeager-centric, Eren fantasizing about killing titans is a thing, Eren has a superiority complex about the titans, Eren is a demon, Eren is a possessive shit, Future EreRi, He is also batshit crazy, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Metaphysical bullshit courtesy of yours truly, Obsession at first sight, POV Multiple, Past Tense, Sadomasochism, Seriously the funny parts in this is weird, Strange attempts at humor, That’s what happens when the main character is an amoral fiend, There will be explicit sex at some point, Third-person narration, Thus the rating, Titan-Haired Eren Yeager, Uncomfortably close friendships, Yeah that applies to Eren, all the others are human, except the titans and titan shifters, non-binary Hange
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-09-02 03:52:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 40,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8650402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voxofthevoid/pseuds/voxofthevoid
Summary: Three contracts. Three humans. One demon. And a whole lot of titans.What could possibly go wrong? (The answer is: Not as much as you’d think.) Or,Amidst the fall of Shiganshina, Mikasa's fear and Carla's blood call forth a demon who bas been trapped in limbo for centuries. Summoned into an unfamiliar era where his prey live like penned cattle inside giant walls, Eren resolves to show the titans what true monsters are like.And he might claim a soul or three in the process.





	1. Blood Soaked Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I based the demons (well, just one demon) in this vaguely on Kuroshitsuji. Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking either.

The soil of Shiganshina was soaked in the blood of its people.

_Help us._

_Please._

The scent of despair reached him through the darkness, twining around him and sinking into his skin. A dearly missed sensation.

_Somebody._

_Anybody._

A voice, faint and broken, called out, piercing through layers of nothingness to fall upon curious ears.

_Help us._

_Help me._

Amidst the ruination of Shiganshina, someone called for help.

_Please._

And he answered.

 

~

 

The human world was as insufferably bright as ever and he loved it even as it stung his sensitive eyes which had spent centuries glaring into impenetrable darkness. Everything was so alive here; the blue sky stretching peacefully overhead, the light breeze playfully ruffling his hair, the cool earth under his bare feet, the humans screaming for their lives, the gigantic monstrosities eating said humans-

Well the last one was new.

For an instant, he was worried that this was another of one of the daydreams cooked up by his admittedly demented mind to ease his boredom, but no, his surroundings and the sensations he felt were too solid, too vivid for him to still be trapped in the numbing nothingness of limbo. But by that logic, all these creatures that looked like naked, overgrown humans must also be real.

He had apparently missed quite a lot in all the years he had been absent from this realm.

Speaking of, where was the poor soul that summoned him?

He glanced around himself, looking away from the merrily eating graceless monsters in favor of taking in his immediate surroundings. There was a house, or rather, what had been a house, to his left. The place was now almost entirely crushed under a large boulder, much like the legs of the woman trapped in the debris.

Was she the summoner? Had she called out to him, spurred on by desperation born of the fear of death? It was not an unusual way for a summoning to happen and she had obviously spilt enough blood to count as sacrifice.

But then, a faint whimper sounded from close by. He turned in its direction to see a little girl sprawled on the ground, wide black eyes fixed on him in shocked horror. One look at her and he knew.

It was her, his summoner and hopefully his new contractor. A child. That was fine.

He gave her a little wave.

“Hello.”

She just continued to gape at him. It was almost offending given how he was a much better sight than the naked giants. But given her age and the obviously accidental nature of the summoning, he could forgive her just this once.

“I thought you wanted help,” he told her, keeping the mockery from his voice because he was not enough of a lowlife to insult children to their faces. “Yet now you’re so silent.”

His words served to snap the girl out of her terror-filled haze. She got up and threw herself at the trapped woman with impressive speed, clutching desperately at the latter’s limp hand. The woman seemed barely alive at this point. The little girl looked back at Eren, her fear of him vanishing in the face of her fear for the dying human. She finally spoke, in a language Eren had never heard before but understood nonetheless at a level deeper than words.

“Help her. Please.”

Normally, Eren would have held back, coaxing and tempting until the girl forged a contract with him before helping the woman. But here, in this strange, unfamiliar land where monsters other than demons ran amok and pandemonium reigned free, he chose to show a kindness that he did not often exercise.

The woman would die either way.

It was easy enough to lift the beams pinning her and heave her body out of the debris, careful of his claws. He laid her on the ground, kneeling beside her still body as she took one last shuddering breath. The girl just stared, unblinking eyes fixed on the body as if willing it to breathe. And when it didn’t, she did not cry or scream, just continued to gaze blankly at the woman’s face.

The woman’s face…

He knew that face. Had known _her_ , once in another life. But that didn’t matter anymore.

The ground started reverberating under him to the rhythm of deafening footsteps. He did not need to look up to know that one of those things was close. Too close. He didn’t stop to see or even indulge his raging curiosity. He snatched up the girl, who seemed content to sit there and wait for death, and _ran_.

 

~

 

The whole business of contracting and soul-sucking was such a pain.

For one, it involved a degree of suave diplomacy that he would never possess. For another, humans were irritating and unreasonable and more often than not, he was tempted to tear out their guts rather than eat their souls.

The girl was an exception in that he didn’t quite want to kill her. He was not a complete heartless bastard. Except when he was, of course. But the point was that no, he did not want to kill the girl but that made her no less annoying. What kind of kid just stood there staring at a demon with blank eyes and a blanker face, without demands or questions or even a tiny cry of sweet terror? It didn’t help that she seemed equally unconcerned with all the screaming and devouring that was still going on around them despite him managing to temporarily evade danger.

Did she _want_ to die?

That couldn’t happen. He needed a contractor; he’d be damned if he was going back to limbo again.

“Hello?” he tried, kneeling down in front of the girl. He knew she could understand him despite their differing tongues. Humans and demons always understood each other, much to the former’s misery.

But she maintained her thousand yard stare despite the creature of darkness invading her personal space.

“Hey, are you just going to stand there and wait to die? You want to live, don’t you?” Still no answer. He gripped her chin and forced her gaze to meet his. It seemed to help as some semblance of awareness crept back into in her eyes. She blinked at him, lips parting in a faint exhale.

“ _Do you want to live_?” This time, she nodded, a mechanical motion that gave away her uncertainty. Or maybe it was apathy. Either way, there was something _wrong_ with this one. But he’d take what he could get, even if that was a human child with a broken psyche.

“Then fight for it, girl. I can help you with that. What’s your name?”

“…Mikasa.”

Finally, words. They were making progress.

“Why don’t we make a deal, Mikasa? If you give me your soul, I’ll protect you from these things. In fact, I’ll give you whatever you want. So tell me, what do you want?”

This was the crucial point. Humans tended to get rather touchy about giving away their souls.

“I…want…”

Except that Mikasa didn’t even flinch at his demand, focused more on the latter part of his words. So far, so good.

“-ly.” Her mumbling was so low that even his heightened hearing had to strain to catch the words. “I want family.”

That was…new. He said as much.

“Well that’s new. I can work with that, I guess. But you need to be alive to make a family so for now, let’s focus on that. How about it then, Mikasa? Shall we make that deal?”

Mikasa looked at him with her little eyes wide open and filled with a somberness that was as far from childlike as one could get.

“Will you stay with me?”

This little brat really was full of surprises.

“Sure. That’s part of the deal actually.”

She nodded, firmer than the last time. “Okay.”

_Yes._

Beaming at the girl, uncaring of how it made his fangs protrude, he wrapped his power around himself, changing his body into something more suitable. Claws retracted, fangs smoothened, wings shrivelled and his whole being _shrank_ until he was at level with Mikasa, just a little wobbly in his new child’s body. Clothes he wore a long, long time ago covered him, cool against his heated skin.

There were perks to being a demon.

He stretched out his shrunken limbs and returned his attention to Mikasa, only to find her staring at him with more emotion than she had shown since the woman died.

“Who- who are you?”

“I’m a demon,” he informed her cheerfully.

“Oh.” She seemed to ponder that for a moment. “Okay.” Simple as that. What a kid. “What’s your name?”

Name. He had a name, didn’t he?

How long had it been since he’d used it?

“Eren. I am Eren.”

“Eren.” She smiled, a practically nonexistent twitch of the mouth, as she repeated his name to herself. It was surprisingly nice have someone call him that again.

“Hey, Mikasa? Shall we seal the deal now?”

“Okay.” The way she said it made it sound like she would gladly agree to whatever Eren asked. It was a little… odd.

He took her tiny hand in his equally tiny one. The soft skin of her palm was torn and bloody and it was easy to picture her fruitlessly attempting to dig that woman out of her tomb trap. Eren lowered his mouth to her hand and bit down hard, digging his teeth deeper into broken skin and lapping at the blood that gushed from the wound.

She tasted of pain and lost innocence.

And hope.

It was a lovely mixture.

The warm weight of the contract settled into his skin, wrapping around his core like the most comfortable of chains. A sharp gasp from above told him that she felt it as well. Eren released her hand with a soft kiss to the abused flesh.

“There we go. I’ll give you your family, Mikasa.”

She actually smiled at that, her face visibly brightening with it.

“Okay, Eren.”

Her voice wavered on his name and only then did he notice that she was trembling. It wasn’t that cold, not to him at least. But he knew that humans sometimes shook from fear or shock or a number of other things.

Eren unwound the red scarf on his neck, a memento from another, vastly different time, and wrapped it around Mikasa who stared at it with unhidden wonder.

“You were shivering,” he told her. It was a little cute, the way she ducked her face into the scarf at that.

“Mikasa! Is that you?!” Mikasa started at the sound of her name and Eren turned with her to see an adult man running towards them, his eyes wide with panic and relief. He was dressed oddly, with large metallic boxes hanging at his hips and brown straps criss-crossing his legs and torso. Beside Eren, Mikasa made a faint noise of recognition.

“It’s Hannes.”

The man stuttered to a halt in front of them, dropping to his knees and pulling Mikasa into a quick embrace. His gaze flicked over to Eren, questioning and confused.

“I saw…her. Carla. I’m so sorry, Mikasa.”

Carla. Her name had been the same this time around then. And this new arrival obviously knew them both. Eren hoped he wouldn’t cause any trouble – he’d hate to kill somebody close to his human already. He watched Mikasa, waiting for her to give away something about Eren and what he was but she remained silent and still, Hannes’ hand still on her shoulders.

“Who’s your friend?” Hannes asked her, standing up and taking one of her hands in his. His spare hand reached for Eren who took it without hesitation.

“Eren,” she whispered, free hand coming up to clutch the edge of her new scarf. The man looked at her with poorly concealed concern and wisely didn’t press further.

“We need to get you to the boats.” And with that he started walking briskly towards the direction with less screams, tugging with him a child and a monster in a child’s skin.

Eren was still curious about this strange era he found himself in but for the moment, he was content to let himself be led away from the chaos, secure in his newly formed contract.

From the man’s other side, Mikasa’s wide eyes caught his, glimmering with a desperate intensity that brought a smile to Eren’s lips.

He had a good feeling about this.

 

~

 

An evacuation was underway.

Eren was ushered onto a boat alongside Mikasa who’d latched onto his arm the moment the man, Hannes, had left them. For a tiny kid, she had an unusually strong grip and he had a half a mind to think that she was trying to crush his hand. But one look at her stoic face and the pain hidden there told him that she was only holding on in desperation.

They took their place among other humans, some shaking and crying, others frozen with grief that transcended words.

It was quite a pleasant atmosphere.

A boy joined them soon after, blond and frail, his blue eyes wide as they landed on Mikasa, his face scrunching up in bewilderment as he spotted Eren by her side, their fingers intertwined.

Whatever questions he may have asked, whatever platitudes he may have said were lost as a hulking form burst through the gate in the distance, bringing with it dead silence followed the cacophony of human screams.

 

~

 

The boy’s name was Armin and he was Mikasa’s friend.

He was also far smarter than a kid so young should be, figuring out in a matter of hours that there was something odd about Eren, though Eren himself may have contributed to that with his blunt, “What the fuck where those things?”

Titans, as the gigantic uglies were called, were apparently common knowledge.

In his defense, he was out of his depth here. He’d encountered many a things in the human world during his times as a contracted demon but what the two had told him – three walls, now two, with all of humanity in them, monsters of annihilation that came from nowhere – were leagues apart from the ghosts and ghouls and occasional witch he’d come across in the past.

Eren also found himself far less fond of the titans than he was of the aforementioned creatures. They all preyed on humans but the thought that these oversized, clumsy interlopers had driven mankind to the verge of extinction was personally offending.

Humans were _their_ prey. It was a complete waste of perfectly good souls to have those things gobble them up without a care for the taste.

But all that aside, the matter at hand was that Armin was glancing worriedly between Eren and Mikasa, and the demon could sense his contractor’s unease despite her perfectly blank expression. She seemed reluctant to respond so Eren did it for her.

“I’m a demon.”

Eren liked to think that, for a demon, he was very straightforward. Though maybe his forthright answer was born of a desire to see the boy’s reaction which was every bit as priceless and typical as he hoped. His big blue eyes grew impossible wide, mouth gaping as he shook his head in instinctual denial. Shock was written on his face, followed soon by disbelief. But the denial that was sure to come forth was cut off when Mikasa finally spoke forth.

“It’s true. And he saved my life.”

Armin shot an incredulous look at the girl only to stop short at her utter seriousness. Eren just watched the two.

A silence fell, heavy and uncomfortable. Armin’s unsaid questions saturated the air despite his apparent inability to speak. Mikasa stood unnaturally still, almost frozen except for the way her fingers pulled at the edges of the scarf she’d yet to take off. Sighing at the awkward impasse, Eren nudged Mikasa towards the boy with a hand on her back.

“You go talk. I’ll wait here.” _Here_ being a plain stone building where Armin’s grandfather had reluctantly left them while he went to join the throng of loud refugees who were being sorted out by men and women in the same odd clothes as Hannes had been. Eren assumed them to be soldiers.

Armin seemed only too glad for the opportunity as he wasted no time in gently tugging Mikasa towards the far corner. She shot Eren an inscrutable glance as they went, relaxing almost imperceptibly at Eren’s wide grin.

Really, there was something up with that girl. Eren was used to his smiles scaring people, not reassuring them.

He turned away from the two, giving them the illusion of privacy and keeping to himself the fact that his enhanced hearing could pick up their hushed whispers. Their conversation was predictable. Armin needled for details that Mikasa gave in sparse sentences, followed by the usual warnings and concerns. The _sound_ the boy made when Mikasa told him about her soul would forever stay with Eren, an amusing memory for dull times.

One thing was notable though; Mikasa’s fervent defense of him. It was Eren’s first time contracting with a human that was not only unafraid of him but was downright attached, and in such a short time too. It was so…cute.

He quickly tired of the kids’ argument and turned his focus to more interesting matters. Such as his current situation. Summoned into a world that was drastically smaller than the one he knew, part of a settlement that was no different than penned cattle, trapped inside walls that were clearly not as effective as they were thought to be… Eren knew one thing for certain. He wanted out.

He would not take kindly to being restricted by those gormless behemoths.

But all that would come later, once he’d gathered more information and decided how to proceed.

For now, he had a couple of human children to charm, not that one of them needed it.

As Eren abandoned his musing and noisily made his way towards the bickering duo, it occurred to him that despite his distaste for the titans, he should be grateful to them for their impromptu invasion.

They had helped him attain freedom and for that, he would destroy them quickly and painlessly.

 

**TBC**

 


	2. Dance of the Savage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It felt right when Mikasa Ackerman gave her soul away to the demon Eren for the promise of family._
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _It did not occur to her, not even once, to doubt him or his words. He was too compelling, with his too-sharp teeth and gemstone eyes, to be doubted._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s some mild titan torture around 1500 words in. Be warned.
> 
> Mikasa and Armin POVs in this one.

The pain in her chest was familiar.

The fear, the panic, the denial, the helplessness… it was all so very familiar.

She’d tried so hard after _that_ incident to grow strong so that she would never again have to stand by and watch as her loved ones died. But here she was once again, trying and failing to lift the beams even as the light in Carla’s eyes grew dimmer and dimmer and the thunderous footsteps all around them grew louder and louder.

Mikasa screamed with her mind in the way she couldn’t with her voice, asked and begged for help she knew she wouldn’t receive. The pool of blood under her second mother grew larger as the hope in her heart grew smaller.

They were going to die here.

Maybe the pain would end then.

But Mikasa didn’t die. Because _he_ came.

He appeared from nowhere, in a rush of wind and heat, knocking Mikasa off her feet. She could only watch in shock as a shapeless mass of inky black shifted and solidified into something that roughly resembled a man. He was tall, imposingly so, with wild dark hair that swayed in a breeze that didn’t exist and huge, spread _wings_ that dripped black feathers into the scorched ground below. She watched, frozen, as he turned to look at Carla. A half-formed sound of warning escaped her and he turned to her, lazily as if he had all the time in the world.

He looked straight at her and nothing, neither the wings nor the claw-tipped hands, could compare to the sheer inhumanness of his eyes.

Gleaming gold and slit like a cat’s, they bore into her.

Mikasa trembled.

He waved.

“Hello,” he said. The simple word reverberated in her head, through her body. The touch of his voice in her mind was like the thunder that split the sky before the giant red titan appeared, piercing and all encompassing.

It was one she would never forget for as long as she lived.

 

~

 

He told her to _live_.

Maybe not told per say but he certainly made it so that it was her only option. Even numb from Carla’s death (familiar blood, familiar stillness, familiar blank glassy eyes, it reminds her-), Mikasa had not been able to reject those bright gold eyes or the rumbling voice that promised to help her, promised to save her.

Mikasa had not needed saving in a long time.

She was strong.

But not strong enough.

Not to save Carla and not to say no to the honeyed words that promised to give her what she wanted in exchange for something she was no longer certain she possessed. Her family, old and new, was gone.

She wanted it back.

So she asked and he accepted, said he would stay with her and turned into a boy that was at level with her, almost human but for those strange eyes that were no longer slitted but just as ethereal. He bit into her hand, the pain lost in the blanketing sensation that swept over her, something burrowing deep into her soul to connect her to the creature that smiled with her blood staining his teeth.

It felt right when Mikasa Ackerman gave her soul away to the demon Eren for the promise of family.

It did not occur to her, not even once, to doubt him or his words. He was too compelling, with his too-sharp teeth and gemstone eyes, to be doubted.

 

~

 

The language of the Walled people was an odd mix of tongues, some of which Eren had encountered before, others which were entirely unfamiliar. It didn’t seem too hard to learn. In the interim, he communicated with Mikasa and Armin via his own language, and the few others they encountered were fed the far-fetched explanation that Eren had lost all memories, language skills included, from a head injury during Maria’s fall. None of them cared enough to question further, with the exception of Armin’s grandfather who was more sympathetic than skeptical despite how it gave him one more ‘child’ to look after.

Humans were strange sometimes.

As for Armin himself, he wisely remained wary of Eren but it was clear as day that his caution was equaled, if not exceeded, by his curiosity. After an initial few days of distance and reticence, induced more by the tragedy that had befallen the humans than anything else, Armin started spending more time with Eren and Mikasa. It may have had something to do with how Mikasa, who seemed to be the boy’s only friend, refused to leave Eren’s side but the way Armin stared at and quizzed Eren as much as he could get away with gave the impression that he was also driven by genuine interest.

Eren was usually fine with indulging the humans, be it Mikasa’s need for his presence or Armin’s endless curiosity. Though silent and stoic for the most part, Mikasa had an air about her that spoke of a fragility that had nothing to do with physical strength. The girl was an impressive specimen but she was broken inside in a way that was not unfamiliar. Eren was fine with her rapidly growing emotional dependence on him, particularly since he knew from experience that it was better to have a contractor who was fond of him rather than one who feared or loathed him.

Armin was refreshing in that he stayed away from the typical questions about demonkind and their realm to focus on details about the world before and beyond the walls. Once he had realized that Eren was _old_ and had lived among humans in the past, Armin was bursting with questions and it was amusing how even the simplest things could affect him. His elation when Eren told him that the ocean was indeed real was really something to behold.

All things considered, he was content with this summoning.

Except for the damned walls.

Less than a week and already he loathed the sight of them. It wasn’t that they were a true inconvenience to him but it was the principle of the matter. Even though Eren could easily scale the walls without being detected, it didn’t change how his contractor was trapped inside and Eren along with her. Worse still was that they represented protection from a threat that made Eren seethe in rage every single time he thought about it.

Titans were abominations, and not the fun kind like Eren himself.

To make matters worse, the living conditions of the refugees were abysmal. At the moment, they were in communal halls, fed rations that barely kept the hunger at bay. Eren had seen similar enough situations to know that there would be no easy solution to the problem unless the humans found some miraculous way to feed the thousands of refugees from their lost territory.

But though distasteful, it was none of his concern. He only needed to care for Mikasa. Eren’s lack of need for food meant that his rations could be divided among Mikasa and Armin. He also sneaked out at night, demonic abilities in full use, to hunt small birds or animals to feed Mikasa, and Armin as well since she insisted on sharing with him, properly.

It wasn’t perfect but for the time being, it would do. Meanwhile, Eren would work on learning their language and their history, both of which Armin seemed happy to help him with.

 

~

 

It was a month after his summoning that Eren first ventured outside the walls.

Sneaking out after Mikasa and the others fell asleep was regular by this point but until now, Eren had kept to exploring the land and hunting food for the humans. But his curiosity built and built until one night, he took to the skies, his human form shrinking and shifting until a hawk glided in the air, entirely out of place in the moonlit sky.

But the soldiers guarding Wall Rose had no attention to spare for some bird, if they even saw it with eyes bleary from sleep and boredom.

His true objective slipped out of his mind as he soared through the air, all earthly concerns insignificant in the face of sheer _freedom_. Flying was freeing in a way being earthbound could never compare to, though even the latter was pure bliss after the tediousness of his long confinement.

But eventually, the faint discomfort he’d been feeling ever since he left the wall grew too insistent to ignore, a sign that he was too far away from his contractor, and Eren slowed, allowing his small body to plummet to the ground, exploding in a flurry of feathers right before it hit the ground.

His true form felt almost as liberating as the sky after so many days spent as a human child but even as Eren stretched out his limbs and groaned in pleasure, his gaze was drawn to the few giant forms that lumbered about, graceless and aimless.

Titans were as ugly up close as they were from a distance. Lovely.

Eren stood still, curious as to whether they would attack him. As far as he knew, titans mindlessly attacked when they saw humans. Did the same apply to other living things?

Would it apply to Eren, a being who was no longer of this world?

Apparently not. They showed as much interest in him as in each other, which was none at all. In fact, they seemed entirely different from the ravaging beasts he’d caught glimpses of during his summoning. Here, out in the wild with the ruined remnants of an old Maria district in the distance, they seemed almost docile.

Eren took his human form again, an adult’s rather than a child’s, and waited for them to notice him. They didn’t. One, the smallest of the group with a head too big for its body, gawked at him for a long moment before ambling away in the direction of the ruins.

It seemed as if these things really had no interest in him. It reminded Eren of how animals tended to avoid his kind, recognizing by instinct the presence of something unnatural. He did not know enough about titans to be certain but it was likely that they were the same way.

That was just fine. It gave Eren an opportunity to experiment.

He leapt into the air, nails elongating into long, black claws that sunk deep into the back of the short titan. It tore thorough skin and flesh a little _too_ easily, with none of the sweet resistance that came with human or animal flesh. It was a little like ripping paper, only denser and messier. It was remarkably hot as well. The thing made no noise but an oversized palm slapped at its own back, connecting only with its wound as Eren landed in a crouch. It turned around, expression still set in a grotesque pout, and spotted Eren, reaching for him with a half-hearted grab that he dodged easily. It didn’t try again.

Well that was boring.

Despite the darkness, Eren’s vision could pick up the steam rising from behind the creature. When he went around to check the gashes on its back, he was not surprised to see it steaming and almost healed. They could regenerate then. That usually meant that the creature in question had a vital spot or two where it would be fatal to strike. Unless you were a ghost or a demon, the former being too dead to kill and the latter immortal in the truest sense of the word.

Eren looked at his hand, saw that the blood on it had vanished, and grinned.

This was going to be fun after all.

And it was. Eren ran, leapt, clawed and slashed, drenching himself in red hot blood that evaporated too quickly for his liking. He found that it was not just titan blood that vanished but also their flesh and bones. He cut off one’s head with the blade of his wing and it grew right back after a few minutes. The more he attacked them, the more they reacted, until Eren was merrily dancing in the midst of four of the giants, each movement designed to draw blood and shear flesh.

They didn’t touch him.

But they didn’t die either.

Not when he decapitated them, not when he tore out their chest, not when he gouged out their eyes…

Not until he dug both claws into the back of one broad neck and yanked it apart hard enough to topple the head.

That one didn’t get up.

Eren threw back his head, splattered with steaming fluids, and _howled_ his laughter to the heavens.

 

~

 

Armin didn’t want to like Eren.

It was obvious from the beginning that there was something odd about him. Armin may have been young but he had always been good at reading people and even if he hadn’t been, it was not hard to figure out that a boy who _smiled_ as the world fell apart around him was not normal. Stranger still was how attached Mikasa was to him; cold, aloof Mikasa who barely even smiled at Armin despite knowing him for a year clung to this boy as if she couldn’t bear to be parted from him.

No, he wasn’t jealous. Much.

But in spite of his doubts, not once did Armin suspect something as outrageous as a demon – something that Armin had not heard of outside the stories his father told him when he was young, stories that were made-up to keep a too curious kid in line. And then Mikasa told him about her soul being the price for Eren’s presence and Armin very briefly lost his much cherished ability to speak. It didn’t help that she refused to tell him what she asked for in return, only that Eren would be staying close to her.

She was, in her own subtle way, very happy about that. Armin definitely wasn’t.

He made no secret of his distrust of Eren, couldn’t have even if he wanted to, but tried to keep his dislike to himself for Mikasa’s sake. And then, before he even knew it, he didn’t have to hide it because there was nothing to hide.

Armin didn’t want to like Eren but he couldn’t help it. He liked Eren.

It began as simple curiosity about Eren’s nature, which then grew into something like awe as came to know that Eren was old, older than Armin’s grandfather, older than the _walls_ , and that he’d known a time when humanity was not trapped inside them. There was no way Armin could stay away after that, no matter how wary he was of the demon.

But what pushed his feelings towards Eren from caution mixed with interest to genuine affection was the way he treated Armin. He didn’t mock Armin for his questions nor did he disregard them. Instead, he answered, indulgently and more or less patiently. When Armin tentatively broached the subject of the ocean, rather than laugh at him, Eren nonchalantly confirmed its existence, and continued to describe it as best as he could with a smile until Armin’s elation reached manageable levels.

There was a part of him that knew it was a bad idea, that Eren was not what he seemed like. But the more time Armin spent with him, the harder it became to look at his deceptively childish face and see anything other than a new but precious friend.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t so bad. Whatever Eren’s nature, he looked after them; protected and fed them in the wake of Maria’s fall. There was the issue of Mikasa’s soul but it was hard to hold even that against him when Armin could see with his own eyes how much happier she was these days, as if having a monster from myths as her companion as the best thing that had ever happened to her.

One day, he might regret ever laying eyes Eren. It was possible.

But for now, Armin was happy with things as they were.

 

~

 

In the end, the human government did find an easy solution.

_Cull the masses._

The so called ‘reclamation’ campaign was a thinly veiled method to dispose of the refugees so that the remaining two walls’ overpopulation and resulting food shortage would be fixed. It was clear that everyone knew it, even the ones being sent to their sure deaths, but few complained and the ones that did were quickly silenced. Most of those who had children went willingly, seemingly content to know that at least the young ones would be spared.

Armin’s grandfather, who left with them with a forlorn smile that reflected the knowledge of his own impending death, was one of those people.

Eren felt no pity or sorrow, having long since lost those emotions, but even he couldn’t help but be disgusted by the act. It would have been kinder to kill them directly rather than send them out as titan food. The irony that these people who until now had considered themselves lucky to have escaped the titans when Maria fell were now being sent out to face the very end they’d fled from was not lost on Eren. Many killed themselves and he could understand why.

Ultimately though, it didn’t matter to him. His concerns began and ended with Mikasa, and perhaps Armin of whom he’d grown fond.

The death of the humans meant little to him except as fodder to the fury that still burned inside him at the thought of the titans taking what was rightfully _his_ kind’s.

Soon enough, the news came that only a hundred of the thousands who were in the campaign returned. Armin’s grandfather was not among them.

That night, he and Mikasa held Armin as the boy cried himself to sleep, clutching the old man’s hat, and after both his humans were down for the night, Eren sneaked out of bed, out the walls and bathed himself in the blood of titans.

 

~

 

It was Mikasa who found out.

Eren returned one night, on a pleasant high from slaughtering titans, and found her waiting for him on the floor of the room they shared with Armin. The boy was on the cot, soundly asleep. Eren was only a little surprised, having known that this was inevitable. The way Mikasa glared at him was pretty adorable though.

He smirked at her and put a finger to his lips, motioning with his other hand at Armin’s slumbering form. Her brows furrowed further but she remained silent. There were only a few hours left till dawn and Mikasa stayed up the entire time, not taking her eyes off Eren except to blink. For someone so young, she had quite an intimidating glower.

Eventually, Armin woke up, blinking at up with big, befuddled eyes from where he was still curled up on the thin mattress.

“‘Ren? ‘Kasa? S’goinon?”

He wasn’t the most articulate person in the mornings.

“I would like to know that as well,” Mikasa supplied, audibly crossed. It was the first time she’d directed that tone at Eren and he couldn’t stop grinning about it.

“I was just killing some titans. It’s fun.”

Mikasa stared.

Armin stared.

Eren wondered why they were even surprised at this point. They should be used to him pulling crazy shit by now. The wild boar incident should have taught them that at the very least.

“You… went outside the wall?!” It was Armin who recovered first.

“I’ve been doing it for a while. The nights can get boring sometimes. Unlike you two, I don’t sleep.”

“Why?” Mikasa asked quietly.

“I hate titans,” Eren replied with a shrug. “I like killing. Ergo, I love killing titans.”

There was a long silence after that. Eren crossed the room to sprawl on the floor beside Mikasa, leaning against the bed. He waited patiently for the two to process his words.

“Isn’t that…dangerous, Eren?” Armin was unusually hesitant, as if the entire situation was too perplexing for him to properly form words. So cute, his little humans.

“For me? No. They don’t even notice me until I start hacking at them and even then, they’re not nearly as interested in killing me as in getting away from the annoyance. Did you know that titans have only one weak point and it’s the back of their neck? Everything else regenerates but rip out their nape and they’re done for good.”

Armin looked thoughtful at that, while Mikasa who’d relaxed the moment Eren spoke of his love of killing, just nodded in comprehension. Sometimes Eren thought that she understood his nature a little too well. More than that, she accepted it wholeheartedly. He had been lucky to contract with her.

Neither of them asked how Eren could kill titans. He’d shown them his true form once – Mikasa had technically seen it twice – and they had both spent a considerable amount of time inspecting the finer points of his anatomy.

There were a few more questions, courtesy of Armin although Mikasa did listen intently, about titans. Eren was happy to indulge them and even though Armin turned a little green at some of the more graphic details, he was polite enough to wave at Eren to go on. Mikasa maintained her typical stonefaced seriousness throughout the account.

Had Eren retained any of his softer morals from back when he was human, he would have felt guilty for corrupting the minds of the two.

But he didn’t. Besides, both Mikasa and Armin had witnessed firsthand the carnage brought on by titans. Maybe hearing of Eren’s titan-butchering adventures would be cathartic for them.

That’d sure be nice.

 

~

 

It was Armin, of all people, who brought up joining the military.

True to humanity’s nature of being more persistent about survival than cockroaches, the people in the walls had formed a military division for the purposes of killing titans and reclaiming land. The Scouting Legion had been the most condemned branch of the military because once again, humans displayed their tendency to have a bunch of smug morons dominating their ranks.

 _Had been_ because after Wall Maria fell and their illusion of security shattered, people became more appreciative of having soldiers who could kill titans if the need arose.

It was still the smallest and least popular branch of the three. And Armin wanted the three of them to join.

Eren knew there was a reason he liked the kid.

However, Mikasa needed more of a reason before accepting that utterly out of the blue suggestion. Armin seemed all to happy to provide one, eyes glowing and cheeks flushing with excitement as he recounted his grand plan.

“I think Eren can make a difference in the Scouting Legion.”

And what a plan it was.

“Think about it, guys. Even the best of the Legion can only do so much against titans because of natural limitations. It’s common knowledge that their survival rate is ridiculously low. But Eren’s different. He’s- how many titans have you killed already?”

Eren tried and failed to remember. “No idea. A lot.”

“Can you give an approximate figure at least?”

“About fifty, I’m sure. I’m limited by the area since I can’t stray too far from Mikasa.”

“That’s fine, that’s great. The fact remains that you’re _strong_ , Eren. With you fighting with us, for us, humanity has a real chance!”

Silence greeted Armin’s impassioned declaration. Eren didn’t know whether to be impressed by Armin’s guts or offended by his assumption that Eren would be willing to fight for humanity. Not that he was all that unwilling. After all, he would rather the humans survive than be wiped out by those oversized abominations. But still…

“Would they accept Eren?” Mikasa spoke up for the first time, her gaze downcast with a thoughtful frown. She looked older than she truly was.

Armin’s grin faltered, a grimace taking its place. “I’m not sure. We could try to contact the superiors after we join but we can’t know how they would react… But,” He brightened visibly. “Maybe Eren won’t need to show his, uh, true nature. He could just use the military equipment. People like Humanity’s Strongest exist so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Or maybe it would be… I really don’t know the finer points. It was just an idea.”

Now he was dejected again. Eren sighed.

“It’s a good idea and all but aren’t you forgetting an important factor?”

Two sets of inquisitive eyes, one bright blue, the other jet black, turned to him.

“ _Me_. It’s rude to just assume that I would fight for humanity. At least ask, brats.” They didn’t point out how ridiculous it was for Eren to call them that when he was outwardly the same size as them.

Armin gaped a little, jaw falling open.

“But… Eren, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… I mean would you-”

Eren shut him up with a finger against his sputtering mouth.

“It’s fine. I’ll do it as long as not too many people find out what I am. Besides, I need you lot to survive if Mikasa is to have her coveted family. Right, ‘Kasa?”

She ducked her head, half-hiding her face in the folds of that old red scarf that she still refused to take off. Armin gave her a knowing look. No one mentioned what would happen after Mikasa’s wish was fulfilled.

“We’ll figure out the details later. Let’s join next year when you’ll be eligible.” For Eren, it was a simple matter of matching his appearance to their ages. “I’m always up for killing more titans and it would be _lovely_ to have you two join me. Actually, why don’t I start preparing you in advance? A little extra training.”

Armin blanched at that and even Mikasa appeared surprised. Eren grinned darkly.

He had so many things to teach them.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s fun to write Eren like this.
> 
> The real reason titans avoid Eren is because they’re strictly humanitarian and he’s not human. He just doesn’t know that yet.


	3. Red Shirt Army

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, what branch do you plan to join? The MP?”
> 
> Eren had two options. He could act his true age, answer to the point and get out of here. Or…
> 
> “Not all of us want a squishy life at the interior. We’ll join the Scouting Legion.”
> 
> Or he could act like _that_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Altering some canon scenes here. I feel the need to clarify that this is not EreMika or EreMin despite how Eren acts around them. He’s just a touchy-feely, possessive bastard.

Keith Shadis was a loud man.

A loud, hulking, intimidating man who had no problem cowing the unfortunate recruits who garnered his attention. Eren listened to him and the kids involved with half an ear, the rest of his attention focused on the two soldiers in the distance who were conveniently providing commentary for Shadis’ potentially traumatizing behavior.

Psychologically attacking twelve year old children would have struck him as low in any other situation but having firsthand experience not only with titans but also general human nature, Eren could see why this kind of treatment was wise. Plus, it was amusing.

Shadis did not spare Armin but he passed by Eren and Mikasa without a second glance. That was unsurprising since Mikasa’s had eyes that were older than they should be. As for Eren himself, he was well aware that he possessed none of the softness that the man looked for in the recruits. The girl directly in front of him, a petit blonde with ice-blue eyes, had a look similar to Mikasa’s. Probably another victim of Maria’s fall.

Eren had to admit that he was genuinely interested in the military of these people. During his previous stints with contractors, there had never been any exposure to anything of the sort. It had all been mundane shit; revenge, wealth, protection, knowledge. Not to mention how the very last one ended disastrously with his fool of a contractor losing his mind and Eren himself being confined to limbo by a bunch of spiritually gifted humans. Their intention was to kill him or something equally permanent but demonkind were immortal so he got off with temporary incapacitation.

But then, he liked to think of his current predicament as the universe’s reward for all those decades of maddening boredom. A contractor who adored him and demanded remarkably little of him, hordes of monsters that he could slay to his heart’s content, a human boy who marveled at his knowledge, and now this, a chance to see for himself how humanity’s last line of resistance worked.

Eren was thoroughly enjoying himself.

And he had a feeling that it would only get better.

Eren was rudely interrupted from his gleeful musing by Shadis’ yelling reaching an unprecedented volume. How that man’s vocal chords remained in one piece was a mystery. Eren turned to see what had drawn the man’s attention and found a girl… eating a potato.

What followed was an incident so ridiculous that Eren would not be able to forget it for as long as he lived.

 _Humans_.

 

~

 

The Trost boy with the face of a horse had a thing for Mikasa.

It was blindingly obvious from his red cheeks to the awe in his voice as he stuttered out a compliment. Eren wholeheartedly agreed that Mikasa had pretty hair but that didn’t make his derision of the boy any less.

The evening had been uninteresting so far. The three of them being from Shignshina had created a stir earlier but Eren had evaded their questions by his usual claim of memory loss. Armin had answered as best as he could, flustered by the attention, while Mikasa’s disposition alone was enough to keep them from pestering her. Until horse boy came along.

Eren was sure he’d been sitting on another table, away from the morbidly curious group gathered around Armin, but all of a sudden, he was at their table, right across from Mikasa with an expression of utter worship.

“Your black hair is really gorgeous.”

Her deadpan response did little to dampen the boy’s interest. If anything, he appeared even more smitten after hearing her voice.

Eren was torn as to whether he should laugh or be irritated. Mikasa was out of this guy’s league. In the end, he settled for something far worse than mockery or ire.

“He’s right,” Eren told Mikasa, taking a lock of her hair in his hands. “It is pretty.”

She smiled this time.

“Thank you, Eren.” There was obvious affection in her words, almost enough to rival the softness in her gaze. Eren was certain she knew he was trying to piss off the boy but also that he was being genuine at the same time. She really did have lovely hair. It had to go though, and not just to spite horseboy.

“You should cut it though. Otherwise, it might get in the way during training.”

The fury on horseboy’s face was rivaled only by the sheer shock that replaced it when Mikasa agreed without protest, nonchalantly asking how short it should be. He knew she didn’t even care about her appearance. Eren was probably more vain than Mikasa.

Still, he couldn’t help shooting a smirk at horseboy, releasing Mikasa’s hair to drape an arm over her shoulder. She leaned into the familiar touch and though she did give him a disapproving glance, it was undermined by the way her mouth had turned up at one corner.

“About the same length as mine, I guess.”

Eren was, perhaps, a tad possessive of those he considered his.

Seeing horseboy fuming was also a nice bonus. He had quite a glare on him, like a superbly pissed off puppy.

“Who are you?” The question was surprisingly directed at Eren rather than Mikasa, rude as it would not have been had it been aimed at her.

“Eren.”

“I’m Jean.” Eren had to fight not to sigh at the way the boy was sizing him up, the disdainful curl of his lips indicting that he was unimpressed by what he found. It would be excessive, not to mention juvenile, to tell him that Eren could rip out his entrails and eat them while blindfolded. Instead, he rested his head on Mikasa’s shoulder and happily watched Jean turn red with rage.

For a second, Eren thought Jean would lunge at him but no, horseboy clearly had more self-control than that, for he turned to Mikasa instead, his face now red for a wholly different reason.

“And, uh, your name…?”

He sure was persistent.

“Mikasa.”

The expression Jean wore suggested that that was a name from heaven itself. Thankfully, he had enough sense not to say as much out loud. Eren tried to remember if he’d ever developed such infatuation for a human but came up blank. He could remember no soul that _sang_ to him, no soul that he just had to have.

Maybe one day.

“What’s the relationship between you two?” It was again directed at Mikasa, though no one missed the glare he shot Eren who still was his head resting on her.

Mikasa didn’t answer immediately and even without looking, Eren knew that she had ducked into her scarf again.

“Family.”

Eren tensed and then relaxed. That answer wasn’t entirely surprising. It was… sweet that Mikasa thought of him as part of the thing she desired most. He would see to it that she would live to have as big a family as she wanted.

“So you’re siblings?” The delight in Jean’s voice was audible.

“Something like that,” Eren answered, straightening and running a hand through his hair, messing it up further. As he had allowed his human body to develop to match Mikasa and Armin’s ages, he had also grown out his hair until it was the same length it was in his true form and almost as wild.

“Are you really…from Shiganshina?” For the first time since he opened his mouth, the boy’s voice was quiet, almost somber. Eren cast a glance towards Armin who conversing quietly about the evacuation with the polite, freckled boy. Most of the others had left.

Eren nodded in affirmation. Beside him, Mikasa was silent and as stoic as ever.

“Oh.”

There was blissful silence for a while after that. It didn’t last though.

“So, what branch do you plan to join? The MP?”

Eren had two options. He could act his true age, answer to the point and get out of here. Or…

“Not all of us want a squishy life at the interior. We’ll join the Scouting Legion.”

Or he could act like _that_.

He really couldn’t help it. Riling up humans like Jean was just too much fun. And it was most definitely worth it to see the way Jean recoiled, surprise painting his pace into even more equine lines.

“Dude, are you nuts? Or trying to sound tough or something? Who would want to- wait, _we_?” Jean’s eyes flicked to Mikasa, expression shifting from disdain to incredulity in a flash.

“I go where Eren goes.”

Ironic that it was actually supposed to be the other way around. The demon always followed the contractor. But Eren knew that it was only because Eren agreed to Armin’s idea that Mikasa even considered the Legion. What a loyal girl.

No longer interested in the conversation, Eren stood up and walked out of the hall, Mikasa on his heels, leaving Jean gaping after them.

 

~

 

Armin was thankful that Eren was a sadistic, merciless taskmaster.

To be precise, he was thankful _now_ , with his body still aching from drills, skin painted in reds and purples from the 3DMG harness. The latter was new but the murderous aches were all too familiar thanks to the one year Eren had ‘trained’ Armin and Mikasa because _“no humans of his would waltz to a situation unprepared”_. The demon had insisted on preparing them for the military regime that would train them for fighting titans. While Mikasa had not protested, she’d also been a natural at everything Eren had taught them, most of which had been physical in nature. Armin, on the other hand, had been initially abysmal at the muscle building exercises and unarmed combat moves, but neither Eren nor Mikasa had let him quit.

They’d acknowledged, to his simultaneous pleasure and embarrassment, that Armin’s aptitude was for more intellectual activities, and then continued to work him until he collapsed into bed each night, sore and exhausted and cursing out Eren in words he should not even have known.

Of course, he had known even then that the training would be helpful in the future but only now, a few days into training, could he truly appreciate it.

Shadis was brutal, worse that Eren ever had been, lacking even a _demon’s_ consideration for their growing bodies. Armin still went to bed each night an aching mess but at least he was used to it and wasn’t as drastically affected as some of the other recruits, many of whom had already dropped out. Armin would never excel physically, he wasn’t built for that, but he was confident that he would survive.

He had to.

The three of them had _plans_ for the future.

 

~

 

Humans could so wonderfully resourceful sometimes.

It was their incessant drive to survive that drew Eren to them time after time. And the 3-Dimensional Maneuver Gear happened to be a rather spectacular manifestation of that drive. In order to defeat their towering, monstrous enemy, humanity learned to _fly_.

It was a truly impressive invention, the product of what had undoubtedly been a brilliant mind. A contraption composed of gas canisters, plug-in blades and grapple hooks all held in place by a leather harness, it allowed its users the ability to nimbly soar through the air in a near-facsimile of flight. Eren, who actually could fly, was more aware of the limitations than most but he was nonetheless quite taken by it.

Armin and Mikasa had explained to him in the past about the gear used by soldiers but their limited knowledge had not really captured the reality of it. The trainers, on the other hand, took great care to hammer its mechanics onto their heads.

Eren was only too happy for a way to take to the air without using his wings since they had a lot less freedom in the training camp than in the ghettos. He hadn’t sneaked out to Maria territory for months. If he really wanted to, he could, but Eren was none too eager to leave his contractor surrounded by killers-in-training, no matter how outstanding a soldier she was. Besides, the drills and maneuvers fulfilled his need for engagement well enough to ward off most of the boredom.

He still missed the sensation of fragile titan flesh tearing under his claws though.

But he only had to wait for a year and a half before they became full-fledged soldiers. Afterwards, he could join the Scouting Legion and slaughter all the titans he wanted. Even better, Mikasa and Armin would be with him and wouldn’t that just be great? Neither of them was as bloodthirsty as Eren but that was to be expected. He would be the first to admit that becoming a demon had warped his personality, not that it had ever been normal to begin with. Still, Mikasa was more of a protector than a killer while Armin was the quintessential intellectual. The best thing was that those noble aspects had a dark side. It was Mikasa’s ironclad determination to protect her precious people that gave her the capacity for vicious, unflinching violence, just like it was Armin’s razor-sharp intelligence that gave his rationality the potential to morph into cold, deadly pragmatism if the need arose, even if the boy himself was unaware of it for the moment. The two of them were utterly human and beautiful for it.

Eren was proud to call them his, even if Armin’s soul didn’t belong to him.

All that aside, one of the consequences of living in barracks was that there was a significant increase in the number of humans Eren regularly interacted with. Most of them were tolerable and he stayed clear of the ones who inspired that old desire to rip out some entrails. Except for Jean since avoiding him was more or less impossible unless Eren resorted to drastic measures and he just refused to sink that low. Though tenacity was something Eren usually liked, it was hard to be anything but irritated by horseboy’s tireless attempts to win Mikasa’s affection. That the girl in question seemed apathetic at best seemed to not deter him in the least. It didn’t help that Jean and Eren clashed even when Mikasa wasn’t in the picture, their personalities too incompatible to allow either any peace.

Honestly, that boy sometimes made Eren feel human again. It was not a pleasant feeling.

But aside from Jean, the rest of their immediate circle was quite tolerable. Connie was an idiot half the time but he was harmless and well-meaning. Sasha, the perpetrator of the first day’s potato incident, was a fun, upbeat girl unless there was any food in the immediate vicinity, at which point she turned rabid. Marco, Jean’s bosom buddy and polar opposite, was too sweet to be true and as much Eren wanted to hate him on principle, it was impossible. Christa was much the same except that something about her was off, her smiles often too empty to be normal. Where Christa went, so did Ymir with her biting wit and her… very odd scent.

And it wasn’t just her.

Eren had long since learned to filter out the more annoying aspects of his heightened senses but body odor was one of those things that just couldn’t be ignored no matter how hard he tried to look past it and focus on the much more pleasurable scent of a human’s soul. But in the cases of Ymir, Reiner, Bertolt and Annie, there was a distinct strangeness that permeated the smell of their physical body. Their souls felt the same as anyone, though soaked with the most delicious kind of pain which was hardly unusual in this world. It was the sharp twinge to their scents, like that of air after a thunderstorm, that left Eren confused and more than a little fascinated.

It wasn’t unpleasant, that smell, and maybe that was why Eren often found himself with the latter three. Loud, boisterous Reiner and nervous, taciturn Bertolt were an odd duo, just as attached to each other as Ymir and Christa, and Eren usually found their company enjoyable. Annie mostly kept to herself and was a woman of few words but she was the best sparring partner after Mikasa, less strength and more technique, and Eren always had fun trying to find her limits. In fact, he was quite certain that both Mikasa and Annie would have made mincemeat of him had he been human.

On the whole, these days were more fun than their time in the ghettos. Play time with titans was just replaced with play time with humans, and the results were more pleasing that he would ever have anticipated.

He could hardly wait to combine the two when he graduated and joined the Legion.

In the mean time, he would play human and try not to cheat… much.

 

~

 

Eren NoLastName was one creepy little fucker.

At first, Jean had attributed his visceral dislike of the guy to the most obvious reason – jealousy. He was an honest person and had no problem admitting that he turned green with envy every time he saw the two together. It didn’t help that Eren was all too aware of it and tried to provoke him as much as possible. Mikasa repeatedly claimed that they were family, but it was obvious that there was no blood shared between them, and even worse, the way Eren draped himself all over her did not strike Jean as familial. To be fair, Eren was the same way with Armin as well, always casually touching the little blond who seemed used to, and even appreciative of, the constant contact. There was even that one time Jean found them in bed together, Eren curled almost protectively over Armin as the latter shook with muffled sobs.

Alright, the last one was probably justified. Eren was only being a good friend.

He was still creepy though.

Jean couldn’t explain why that belief remained persistent even when his initial loathing lessened through the years. He still didn’t like Eren and they would never get along but he couldn’t say that he hated Eren with that old, jealousy-fuelled passion. But even after he came to acknowledge that the other boy was skilled and not a complete douche unless he was with Jean, he couldn’t shake off the way Eren unsettled him.

It was strange and not entirely rational. After all, Eren was just another guy, right?

Maybe it was his nonchalant insistence of joining the Scouting Legion, the topic of most of their clashes. Jean admitted that a fair share of the blame was on his part but Eren was far from innocent. If anything, he seemed to enjoy rubbing in Jean’s face how he would not only throw his own life away but that he’d also drag Mikasa and Armin down with him, all the while mocking Jean’s goal of joining the Military Police.

Or maybe it was the _look_ in his eyes sometimes. It wasn’t unusual for the few survivors from Maria among them to have moments of staring into space or acting altogether oddly but with Eren, it was different. The way he would sometimes look at Jean – or really anything that wasn’t Mikasa or Armin – as if he were something lesser than the dirt under their boots was actually a little terrifying, not that Jean would admit to being anything but irritated by Eren.

There was lot of mystery about Eren. His name, his family, his damn memories – all seemingly lost due to a head injury during the invasion. Jean found it hard to believe but Marco assured him that he was just letting his feelings color his logic.

Marco was most likely right. He was pretty amazing that way.

All the same, Jean was glad that in a couple of months, he and Eren would part ways and never see each other again. Though that also meant never seeing Mikasa again…but maybe he would. Mikasa was crazy strong. She could handle the titans.

And when they met again, _without_ Eren around, Jean might finally get her to agree to a date.

A guy could dream.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jean’s got good self-preservation instincts.
> 
> Before I forget: Merry Christmas! If you're into that. Otherwise, Happy Holidays!


	4. End of an Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The giant red aberration which he was certain was the infamous Colossal Titan had earned its name. It loomed over Wall Rose, its oversized head staring at them with glassy blank eyes that were oddly intent as compared to normal titans. It was also ugly as sin but that was nothing new. Personally, Eren considered the skinless red mess as an improvement over the grotesque mugs of the normal titans but if the stench of fear emanating from behind him was any indication, his human squadmates did not share the sentiment.
> 
> His silent assessment of the titan was rudely disrupted by a forceful eruption of steam that blew him and the others off the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: While I’m probably not going to incorporate the latest manga revelations into this story (latest as in Ch 85 and onwards), anything before that is fair game. 
> 
> Levi will show up in the next chapter, in case you were wondering.

Graduation came and went by with little ceremony.

Little official ceremony that is. The remaining recruits themselves were ecstatic and had their own humble, though hardly quiet, celebration. The majority of them were planning to join the Garrison while those lucky enough to have made it into the Top Ten dreamed of safe, boring lives within the inner walls.

Eren had different plans, as did Mikasa.

He had exerted a conscious effort to hold back and act within human limitations during training. His pride got in the way of falling too far behind though. It didn’t help that Eren had no idea what constituted human limitations after centuries as a creature that defied the laws of nature. Mikasa made for a rather inadequate yardstick, considering how her abilities verged on monstrous. She was the top recruit, to no one’s surprise.

Armin had not made it into the Ten but he had completed training successfully and his grasp of strategies and theories were outstanding.

The training was over. Soon, they would be full-fledged soldiers and Eren could go outside the Wall again.

“You look happy,” a hesitant voice spoke up from beside him. Eren turned to see a blond boy smiling shyly at him. “Is it because you made it to the top 10? You must be glad you can join the Military Police.”

Eren wasn’t sure but he thought the guy’s name was Thomas. They’d had brief interactions in the past but Eren knew little more than his name.

“Not really,” he replied after a short pause. “I’ve always planned on joining the Scouting Legion and that hasn’t changed.”

It was amusing how the human’s expression changed from excited joy to abject horror within seconds.

“Wha- are you serious? But you can’t possibly win against titans!”

And just like that, most of those in the hall were staring at them, their jubilation temporarily suspended. Eren sighed, taking a small sip from his mug of cheap wine. It tasted atrocious. No wonder he avoided human food.

Thomas, visibly nervous at all the attention he’d garnered, spoke again, a little quieter. “You know…how many have been eaten by them. We’ve lost more than twenty percent of the entire population already. Mankind doesn’t stand a chance against them.”

Eren was a little curious as to why this boy that barely knew him was so invested in his life choices but he didn’t particularly want to know. In fact, this whole celebratory atmosphere was starting to irk him. He wanted some peace and quiet.

“So what? You saying we should all roll over and die? Sounds like a stupid plan. You’re free to do what you want of course but I’d rather fight for my freedom. Isn’t that right, Mikasa?”

Mikasa, who had been a silent shadow by his side until that point, voiced her agreement with a simple ‘yes’.

“You too, Mikasa? But you got the top score!”

“I go where Eren goes.”

And then she proceeded to demonstrate exactly that as she followed Eren out of the mess hall. Armin followed suit.

They were so adorable, his humans.

Once out of earshot of the loud recruits, Eren threw an arm around each of them, drawing them close to him.

“Aren’t you excited, kids? Polished up your master plan, Armin?”

Armin mumbled something incoherent from where his face was squished against Eren’s armpit. On his other side, Mikasa sighed, ducking her head to hide her smile. She still wore the damn scarf. Eren had to wonder if she even took it off to wash. Probably, since it would stink like a titan’s nonexistent asscrack otherwise.

He released the two, ruffling Armin’s hair as he gulped in air.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that, Armin?”

“That’s because you were trying to kill me,” Armin mumbled, perfectly audible to Eren, before raising his voice to say, “I don’t have a solid plan or anything. I still think the best way is to reveal the truth to the top brass. But we can’t finalize anything until we find out what kind of person Commander Smith is. I’ve got an idea…”

Armin trailed off, apparently lost in his head as he hummed and murmured broken phrases to himself. Eren and Mikasa shared an amused look. He ruffled her hair too, just for the hell of it.

He was in a great mood tonight and it was only half because of the anticipated titan slaughter. He just had a good feeling.

 

~

 

In hindsight, Eren should have realized that his version of a good feeling probably foretold things that no human would ever consider as _good_.

He only barely managed to refrain from bursting into hysterical laughter as he stared at the gleaming red visage of the abnormally large titan mere feet away from him. The other recruits were terrified enough without Eren losing his shit. They’d probably think he lost his mind, which was probably a better assumption that the truth.

He was just so unspeakably _delighted_.

Eren couldn’t go hunt the titans so the titans came to him. How very kind of them.

The giant red aberration which he was certain was the infamous Colossal Titan had earned its name. It loomed over Wall Rose, its oversized head staring at them with glassy blank eyes that were oddly intent as compared to normal titans. It was also ugly as sin but that was nothing new. Personally, Eren considered the skinless red mess as an improvement over the grotesque mugs of the normal titans but if the stench of fear emanating from behind him was any indication, his human squadmates did not share the sentiment.

His silent assessment of the titan was rudely disrupted by a forceful eruption of steam that blew him and the others off the wall.

It was instinct by this point to press the trigger and anchor himself to the nearest appropriate location, the wall itself. The rest had managed to do the same for the most part. Looking down, he could see Trost’s gate in shambles, torn by apart by what he assumed was a well-aimed kick from the skinless monstrosity. Eren had heard enough of how Wall Maria fell to know what would happen next.

Rose would fall, and the majority of humanity with it.

That wouldn’t do at all.

“Ready the artillery! Four groups! Prepare for battle!”

Eren smiled, wide and wild, as he propelled himself back to the top of Wall Rose, landing on his feet in front of the Colossal Titan.

“Hello, you big bastard.”

The response he received was in the form of a large but slow arm that swept through the top of the wall, taking out the cannons mounted atop it. It was deliberate, much like the destruction of the gate. This particular lumbering giant was intelligent.

That was an unexpected development. And Eren couldn’t suppress a shiver of excitement at the thought of a titan that could and would actually _fight_ _back_.

He let out a shriek of laughter as he shot his grapples at the titan, twisting and flying around its body as he raced for its neck. It’s attempt to grab him were too slow to be any good, and Eren felt a slight pang of disappointment as the nape of its neck became visible, a prime target for his blades.

He wished he could use his claws. He wished the titan would put up more of a fight.

The latter wish was granted in yet another burst of scorching steam that blew Eren back, obscuring the Colossal Titan from the sight at the same time. Eren’s eyes couldn’t penetrate the steam and even his nose couldn’t pick out much other than a faintly familiar twinge of electrified air-

Wait.

He knew why that scent was familiar.

Eren dove into the steam, uncaring of the titans that may await him below, and made it just in time to see a tall silhouette race along the wall and disappear on the other side. He didn’t bother following it. There was no need.

Humans called his name from above, and after once last glance at where the figure had vanished, Eren flew up to join them.

 

~

 

By the time Eren and the rest were sorted into squads, evacuation efforts were well underway.

Armin was in his squad whereas Mikasa was nabbed to join the elite rearsquad. She was visibly reluctant to part with them and Eren shared the sentiment. His contractor being so far from him in a dangerous situation just didn’t sit right with him. But it would be better to play by human rules for now. Mikasa was an exceptional soldier and even if she did get in trouble, Eren knew he would be able to get to her in time. He was, after all, a contracted demon.

On the other hand, Armin was having a mild panic attack, sprouting a factual analysis of the hopeless situation even as he shook and shuddered. It was actually rather impressive.

“Armin, look at me.” Eren took his face between his hands, staring into terrified blue eyes. “I will let nothing happen to you. Even if this whole city falls, you and Mikasa will survive.”

“But that’s not the-”

“Calm down. Forget the cannots for now. Focus on what you _can_ do. I’ve always been saying how I wanted to see you two kill titans and now is the chance for it. I may miss seeing Mikasa in action but I can enjoy watching you. Now come and me proud, blondie.”

It wasn’t the most reassuring speech out there but Armin stopped trembling and even managed a shaky smile as they marched out to join their assigned teams.

 

~

 

Naturally, it was a disaster.

For others at least. Eren was enjoying himself immensely.

Most of his squad perished. Thomas, Mina, Nac and Mylius all caught and devoured within minutes of deployment. It wasn’t that Eren didn’t try to help them. He did lend a hand here and there, but most of his focus was on keeping an eye on Armin and indulging in the dearly missed ritual of carving up titans. There were limits to how far he was willing to go for the sake of random humans he cared little for and exposing himself as inhuman by flying to their rescue was not within those limits.

And so they died, and then Armin froze up and very nearly became titan food.

As in, he was halfway down a titan’s throat before Eren managed to pull him out. He barely escaped himself and his arm was bitten off for his trouble, but they were too isolated for anyone except Armin to have witnessed it growing back.

It was the first time a titan had actually harmed _him_. And the irony was that had Eren not been practically sitting in its mouth, it wouldn’t even have paid any attention to him.

Eren took the time to make mincemeat out of the bearded fucker before finally putting it out of its misery.

But taking out titans was practically easy when compared to dealing with a shocked, unresponsive Armin who sat on the roof, staring at the evaporating titan blood on his clothes with blank eyes.

“Hey, Armin, come on, look at me. We need to get out of-”

The boy’s sudden, vehement response took Eren by surprise.

“Just leave me here to die! I’m so useless. Everyone…they all died and yet I…”

He hunched over, clutching his hair with shaking hands. Eren blinked at his blond little head, confused in spite of himself for a moment before remembering that Armin probably gave a shit about their dead squadmates, unlike Eren. He briefly wondered whether comforting traumatized humans was part and parcel of being a demon. He was pretty sure that he had to do it more than once during every single one of his contracts.

Eren crouched down beside Armin and, after surveying the immediate area for titans and finding none, drew the boy to him.

“Calm down, Armin. There’s nothing strange or wrong about fear. You just came face to face with nightmarish monsters. Naturally, you froze up. The others did as well. The only difference between them and you is that you’re still alive.”

“O-only because you saved me.”

“Of course I did. I can’t let my human just die, can I?”

Armin raised his head, staring up at Eren with red-rimmed eyes wet with tears. His expression was one of agony and it was so very lovely. Eren smoothed his hand over Armin’s hair in a soothing gesture.

“I’m not though,” Armin said softly. “Mikasa is your human. I’m just…just-”

He had a point. Unlike in the case of Mikasa, Eren had no obligation to watch over Armin. But he had become so used to doing it that he had started to consider the boy as one of his own. And Eren was possessive of those he considered his, especially when it came to their deaths.

“I still consider you as one of mine. Sure, we don’t have a contract and I certainly won’t object if you want to give me your soul. I bet it’ll taste sweet. But even without it, I think of you as someone under my care, just like Mikasa.”

“Eren…” To his shock, Armin just burst into tears at that, burying his head against Eren’s chest as his body was wracked with sobs. Through the crying, Eren thought he heard a hiccupped ‘Thank you’.

He smiled and held Armin tighter.

That was how Connie and his squad found them, though Armin’s tears had ceased by then and he was breathing deeply to compose himself. Eren waved cheerfully at them over Armin’s head, noting with interest the traces of fear that lingered in the newcomers’ eyes. Even the perpetually aloof Ymir seemed shaken.

“The others are dead,” Eren told them before they could ask, and rose to his feet, Armin staggering up with him. Connie looked stricken at the news, casting incredulous looks all around him. Christa bowed her head in distress while Ymir shot a questioning look at Armin, opening her mouth to say something obviously troublesome but backing down with a scoff at the glare Eren shot her.

“We’ve gotta go,” said a guy who Eren didn’t recognize. “We’ve been ordered to move ahead.”

Eren turned his head to hide a smile in Armin’s hair. Moving ahead was good.

More titans for him to kill.

 

~

 

Eren wished he could fly right now.

Great as the 3DMG was, it had it its disadvantages and the limited supply of gas was one of them. That was in fact what led to their current situation, perched atop rooftops in a relatively titan-free zone. They had received the order to retreat but most of them had too little gas left to make it, including Eren himself. He was more upset at having his fun interrupted though. He _itched_ to get back in action, wings in the air and claws out to tear up titans.

That was undoubtedly his favorite activity nowadays.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option with so many humans nearby. Most of the recruits were wallowing in the horror of their imminent deaths while others were discussing strategy, Jean at the center of the latter group. Eren stood off to the side with Armin and Mikasa who’d joined them shortly before.

Mikasa was sandwiched between them both, her face utterly open and not at all hiding her relief at having found them both safe. It was understandable in Armin’s case but it was odd how she fretted over Eren despite knowing he couldn’t be killed. Maybe he should stick a knife in his chest to demonstrate one day. That would probably allay her worries.

…or it would traumatize her _more_ by reminding her of her parents’ murder and her own abduction. He needed a better plan.

“Hey guys,” Armin spoke up, drawing Eren out of his reverie. “I think…I have a plan on how to get to the gas.”

 

~

 

The plan worked.

And it was glorious.

Armin’s earlier dejection lifted as his idea saved them – well most of them – and Eren got to kill more titans as they made their way to the main units. Some of the others shot him askance looks for his enthusiasm and he was certain that he saw Mikasa roll her eyes more than once, but he was too happy about his titan fix to even tone it down.

It was just as they were about to join up with the main force that Eren saw it.

A titan attacking… another titan.

The sheer oddity of the sight froze him in his tracks, only instinct making him land on the nearest rooftop instead of crashing to the ground like an idiot. The others went on, oblivious, for a short distance before Mikasa – _of course_ – noticed Eren’s absence and turned back, flying to his side without a second thought.

“Eren, what-”

He took her chin and turned it in the direction of the aberrant titan, which had by now finished off the one it was grappling with. It moved forward with uncharacteristically controlled movements, only to be halted as a couple of ten-meters threw themselves at him. Eren had never seen titans pay so much as a lick of attention to others of their kind, let alone attack each other. And yet that was exactly what was happening before his eyes.

Some of the others joined them, their queries cut off as they too gaped at the impossible spectacle.

A thought suddenly occurred to him and Eren whipped his head to stare at Bertolt, whose incredulous gaze was fixed on the fighting titans. He stood with Annie and Reiner. Even with the distance between them, Eren could smell it, that unique scent they emitted. The same one he’d smelled as the Colossal Titan disappeared.

If Eren were to approach that aberrant titan now, would he find it carrying the same scent? Would he see in its eyes the same human intelligence as in the gaze of the Colossal Titan?

Only one way to find out.

“I’m going to take a closer look,” he announced and promptly took off at top speed towards the aberrant, which was even now mowing down the titans in its path. He heard the sounds of pursuit behind him, as well as those of protest, and knew that at least Armin and Mikasa had followed him.

Up close, he could see that the aberrant titan looked somewhat different from the rest as well. It was slightly more proportionate despite its distended middle, and it’s bearded, dark-haired face was not as eerily static as that of most titans. And he could smell it… that scent.

“Interesting,” he murmured to himself and kept pace with the titan as it kept moving towards the breach. It ignored Eren, which was nothing new, but it also paid no mind to the humans who were following a little distance behind him which was definitely not normal.

“What the actual hell?” said Jean from behind Eren, shock overwhelming fear as he came to stand beside him, eyes fixed on the aberrant. “What’s wrong with that titan?”

“Well, it’s not eating humans for one thing,” Eren answered absently. He wanted to get even closer. He wanted to see its _eyes_.

He took off again, ignoring the shouts for him to stop, and caught up to the aberrant. It ignored the grapple hook he shot at its back, though that was par for the course with titans, particularly when it was Eren. He had ridden a titan’s shoulder in the past in an attempt to get it to notice him but to no avail.

That was what he did now as well. He was aware that the humans were still watching him and that was the only thing that prevented him from climbing on its face for a better look. Instead, he hopped onto its head, using its long hair has handholds.

A shrill shout of _you fucking suicidal bastard_ came from behind him. Jean needed better insults.

From his elevated perch, Eren leaned forward, wobbling a little from the titan’s movements. They really didn’t make good rides, too much-

Only instinct allowed him to leap backwards as a giant hand swatted at where he had been seconds ago in an obviously calculated movement. Eren was stunned even as he fired his wires and retreated to the safety of one of the closer buildings, not taking his eyes off the way the aberrant titan clutched its own hair and released the strands as soon as it was clear that Eren had escaped.

He didn’t need to see its eyes anymore.

Titans _never_ attacked Eren. It was as if he didn’t even register in the scale of their consciousness. The best he could manage was to get them to swat at him like an irritating fly even as he carved them.

This one noticed him. This one _reacted_.

It was intelligent.

Eren grinned, only to stop short as he finally noticed exactly what the titan was so intently heading towards. The giant rock near Zemo, the same one Armin had mentioned earlier.

There was a whirring sound and the thud of footsteps. A hand clamped down on his shoulder, shaking him hard as Jean yelled in his hear.

“What kind of sick stunt was that, you fucking idiot?! Mikasa was-”

Even Jean trailed off as he caught sight of what Eren was staring at. The aberrant titan was bent over, slowly but steadily lifting up the hugeass boulder, its giant body trembling with the effort.

It straightened up, hoisting the boulder onto its shoulders. Its head was twisted to the side with the weight and Eren could hear the loud grunts it emitted, almost as if it was panting. As they watched, it started heading in the direction of the breach.

Was it…trying to do what Eren thought it was going to do?

Thundering footsteps alerted him to the presence of another titan, a ten-meter that was running straight towards the aberrant which had its hands full, literally, with the boulder and couldn’t defend itself. Eren didn’t allow the ten-meter to reach the aberrant, rushing forward and cutting it down before Jean could voice his protest.

“It’s intelligent!” Eren yelled at Jean and the others in the buildings around them. They gawked at him, and though he was aware that he made quite a sight grinning madly from atop a decomposing titan corpse, now was not the time for idling around. “Alert the main force. I think it’s trying to plug up the wall.”

Armin was the first to snap out of his shock, rushing towards Eren with that familiar light of inquisitiveness in his eyes, visible even amidst the raw terror.

Eren couldn’t stop smiling.

His day had just become infinitely more interesting.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No inspirational speeches from this Eren, sorry. He has too few fucks to give.
> 
> Whenever I write Eren smiling in this, I’m picturing his crazy smile rather than his sweet one. Just sayin.


	5. An Unlikely Savior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Levi appears.
> 
> Sometimes, I wonder if this fic is half-crack.

In the end, a titan saved humanity. Temporarily at least.

The rogue titan that had killed the other titans and willingly plugged up the hole created by the Colossal Titan was as mysterious now as ever. It had somehow managed to scale the wall, its bulky form hiding a considerable amount of agility, and vanished into Maria territory before the soldiers protecting it from other titans could so much as blink. Eren could have followed after it but doing so then would have been far too conspicuous.

It didn’t matter though. He had its scent and all he had to do was wait for night to fall before following its trail.

He wanted to find it, that titan who so clearly had human levels of intelligence. He suspected that it was human, if his experience with the Colossal was any indication.

Eren was harshly yanked from his excited planning, and not for the first time, by the giant body that came crashing down to where he had been standing only moments ago. Mikasa, blades still steaming from titan blood, shot him an unimpressed look before moving on to her next victim, vanishing from his line of sight.

Perhaps the middle of titan clean-up wasn’t the best place to get lost in thought but Eren still found himself stopping at random moments to stare at Wall Rose, yearning to go beyond and hunt down the titan.

All these centuries and he had yet to learn patience.

Eren sighed and looked around him. The streets of Trost were still teeming with the titans that had entered before the hole was closed, most of them concentrated near the gate and the place where the soldiers had gathered as bait. Eren and Mikasa had both been part of the party assigned to protecting their titanic ‘savior’ and both had stayed behind to cull the numbers some more. A number of their squadmates were already dead, strangers for whom he cared little, and the rest had left to rejoin the main force. Eren had deliberately separated from them amidst the chaos of battle. His contractor had followed him and Eren had to admit that the two of them made a great team.

It also allowed Eren to stop and stare at the Wall forlornly whenever he wished, which was often.

An enormous form appeared in his peripheral vision and Eren threw himself towards it with a battle cry, cutting through the 10-meter titan’s nape with unnecessary vehemence. He couldn’t even enjoy it because of his preoccupation with the intelligent titan.

How fucking frustrating.

Eren cast one more glance at the wall, expecting to find only its typical, plain grey expanse, and instead found something far more interesting.

A tiny figure wrapped in a green cloak leaped from the top, twisting in mid-air into a series of rapid spins as he sliced clean through the neck of a titan, only to propel himself right back at another one, bringing it down just as swiftly.

The cloaked figure landed gracefully on the carcass of the titan they felled, positioned just right for Eren to appreciate the sight of them silhouetted against the sun. They turned, looking down at Eren over one shoulder, and he saw that it was an adult man despite being shorter than Armin.

Even with the distance between them, Eren could feel…something in the man’s gaze. A strange pull, a spark of interest as some instinct deep, deep within Eren stirred.

He couldn’t look away.

Of course the fucking titans had to destroy even that, their nonexistent brains having no respect for what had obviously been a _moment_.

He saw the man turn around, expression twisting to one of wide-eyed anger as he shouted a wordless cry of warning, but Eren was already in motion, jumping towards the titan that was probably trying to get to the man, uncaring as always of Eren’s existence. He didn’t bother playing around, anchoring himself to the titan’s broad back and rushing towards it with all his fury at being interrupted to hack apart the creature’s neck with enough force to nearly sever its head.

His blades shattered.

Eren growled as he landed, discarding the defunct blades and replacing them a new pair. He wasted no time looking around for the man and was pleased to find him much closer, standing beside the rapidly disintegrating titan body. He was looking straight at Eren, a calculating glint in his dark eyes.

He recognized that cloak now. It was the characteristic green mantle of the Scouting Legion. Then…

“Are you trying to get killed, brat?” The man asked, shooting a quick glance towards the Training Corps emblem on Eren’s uniform. “Because it sure seemed like it with the way you were just standing there waiting for them to take a bite out of you.”

He had heard, along with everyone else, about the Legion’s most renowned soldier. _Humanity’s Strongest_ , they called him. Eren had seen him once from a distance during one of the Scouting Legion’s expeditions. He hadn’t cared much then, only registering some vague impressions of black hair and a scowling visage. But even that was enough.

Captain Levi was the man in front of him.

And he was infinitely more fascinating now, mere feet away from Eren, than he had been that day, mounted atop a horse out of Eren’s reach.

“Oi, are you fucking deaf?”

Eren smiled brightly and the man’s eyes widened just a little.

“No, I was just too busy looking at you.” Captain Levi was now staring at him in a manner that questioned his sanity in ways louder than words ever could. It was a look Eren was used to receiving. “I noticed it in time though so it’s fine.”

“You were busy…looking at me.”

Eren didn’t point out that they were both now doing what Levi had just chastised him for – standing there while titans ran around. But there were none of those abominations in sight and Eren had no intention of letting their _moment_ be disrupted a second time.

“Yes. You’re him, aren’t you? Humanity’s Strongest. I had no idea you were so beautiful.”

Eren could swear that he saw Levi’s grip on his swords tighten for a second at that comment.

He wasn’t lying though. The man truly was beautiful. Not physically; though his face was of pleasing proportions, it was his _soul_ that caught Eren’s attention. It was…it was _brilliant_.

Full of pain and rage and violence, all wrapped in the burning coils of an iron will.

It _called_ to Eren, vibrant and heady within the confines of the human’s mortal form.

No human soul had ever reached out to him like this. Eren could feel a terrible hunger erupting inside him, insidious and insatiable.

His body moved on its own, taking a step forward. To Levi’s credit, he didn’t back away, instead raising his swords, not even in defense but with the obvious intent to use them on Eren. That was wonderful.

Absolutely perfect.

“I…”

Eren was unceremoniously cut off as two things happened at once. Mikasa landed by his side just as a person – man or woman he couldn’t discern – came running toward them, screaming loud enough that Eren feared for his ears. Screams were hardly unusual when titans were involved but this person was yelling in delight, which was decidedly less common, and they had begun practically dancing around a dead titan body that was in its last stages of decomposition.

Levi cursed viciously under his breath, drawing Eren’s attention right back to him. And then he was gone, though not without one last glare at Eren, walking briskly towards the dancing human and grabbing them by the shoulders to keep them still.

“Control yourself, four eyes,” Eren heard him mutter and then the person was turning, pushing aside Captain Levi in favor of rushing towards where Eren and Mikasa, eyes set not on the two of them but rather the titan remains in front of them. At least under they caught sight of them.

Eren didn’t know why but he had a very bad feeling about that.

And sure enough, there was no more killing that day, only questions and suffocating enthusiasm courtesy of one Squad Leader Hange Zoe of the Scouting Legion.

Levi didn’t join them.

That was unfortunate but it was alright. Eren would get to him eventually.

He was very much looking forward to that.

 

~

 

“Hey, Mikasa, want to go outside the wall with me?”

Most people would have had a remarkable reaction to that question. But Mikasa only looked intently at him for a long moment, the furrow between her eyebrows the only animation on her face, and asked, “Why?”

“If I go now, I can track the titan that sealed the wall. But there’s no telling how far I’ll have to go and it’d be better to take you with me so that I won’t be too far from you.”

It was almost midnight and the two of them had only recently been left to their own devices. Titans were still occupying Trost but most had become inactive when the sun set and the Garrison soldiers were steadily thinning their number using mounted cannons. Eren and Mikasa would have to return to duty in the morning but they’d been released for the time being, the sheer number of titans they’d eliminated shocking their superiors into giving them a night of rest.

Armin had passed out at some point from sheer exhaustion. Eren didn’t doubt that the boy would have nightmares at some point but he couldn’t be there to soothe them tonight.

“Alright,” Mikasa agreed without protest. “I’ve always been willing to join you outside the wall, Eren.”

He had to smile at that.

“You were but you weren’t ready back then. It’s different now. I’ve seen you in action after all.”

There was a decidedly pleased glint in her eyes afterwards.

Flying with Mikasa proved to be tricky. Eren couldn’t resort to his usual method of flying over Rose as a bird and the extra vigilant soldiers on watch made using his true form tricky as well. In the end, he found a secluded spot to shift and took off with Mikasa cradled in his arms, flying as high as safely possible so that the humans atop the wall wouldn’t see more than a shapeless speck even if they were to glance up. The moon was bright that night which didn’t help any but in the end, they managed.

Mikasa was frozen stiff in his arms, clutching tight at his shoulder as she stared below with wide eyes. Her mouth was parted in surprise and the expression she wore was equal parts awe and apprehension.

Eren could understand. It was quite different from using the 3DMG and she didn’t have the certainty of Eren’s wings, only the support of his arms.

That would be enough. That would always be enough.

Once they were at a distance where they would not be seen by those on the wall but close enough to the gate for Eren to sniff out his target, he flew down, carefully holding Mikasa closer as she buried her face in his neck.

This was the hard part. While Eren was in no danger from titans, Mikasa was human and guaranteed to draw their attention. Yet, he couldn’t track the titan from the air. If any of them came around, Eren would just have to dispatch of them quickly.

“Enjoyed the ride?” Eren asked her the moment his feet touched the ground. Mikasa clambered off his arms and stood on slightly wobbly feet, one hand on Eren's arm to steady herself while she regained her bearings.

“It was…different,” she replied after a pause. Her voice was impressively steady. “I think I’ll like it better next time.”

There were no titans in sight at the moment. It didn’t take long for Eren to catch a whiff of that distinctive scent, faint and diffused but identifiable nonetheless. The area remained devoid of titans as they followed the scent trail, sometimes on foot, sometimes on wings. Eren wasn’t sure if it was because most of them had flocked to Trost after the breach to gobble up the humans. It was highly likely. Eren’s usual excursions outside Rose were for the purpose of seeking out titans but he remembered seeing plenty of clear areas even then.

He already knew that they instinctually sought out humans but Mikasa was only one girl. There was a chance that her sole presence would not attract them.

Their luck held and Eren completed the last leg of their journey in the air, Mikasa now much more at ease as he carried her. The trail led them to a dense forest full of giant trees, easily large enough to dwarf even the titans. The smell of lightning-struck air was thick enough for Eren to track it from above the trees and he soon understood why as it drew him down into the canopy and on to a thick branch remarkably high off the ground.

He wasn’t even surprised to find a man resting on said branch with his back to the trunk.

Mikasa, on the other hand, was caught off guard if the startled noise that escaped her was any indication. As she shifted to stand on her own, Eren glanced downwards and found a couple of fifteen meter titans lounging on the forest floor, peering up at them with unfocused eyes. It wasn’t hard to guess why they were here. Eren glanced back at the man, apparently unconscious since he didn’t even twitch even when Mikasa crouched in front of him. It seemed the humans who turned into titans were still seen as human by the normal titans.

“I had a feeling we’d find something like this,” Eren murmured, moving to stand beside Mikasa. He had yet to tell her or Armin about his discovery regarding the Colossal Titan. He had to confirm something first and it wasn’t as if he was lying to his contractor, just withholding the truth until a more appropriate time.

“Eren, he’s…”

“The titan who sealed Wall Rose. Amazing, isn’t it? Who knew something like this was possible?”

“No, that’s not what I-” Eren frowned at the extremely uncharacteristic waver in Mikasa’s voice. She was still leaning over the man, head bowed and hands clenched at her sides. “This person, he… he’s my family. The man who adopted me after my parents were killed. Grisha Jaeger.”

Oh.

Small world.

“We’d assumed he had died,” Eren said as much to himself as Mikasa as he moved closer to the two. A sense of unease settled over him as he remembered the woman who’d been crushed to death on the day of Eren’s summoning. Carla Jaeger, Mikasa’s adoptive mother and this man’s wife. The woman who Eren knew from his own human life.

Surely, this man wouldn’t be…

He took a good look at the face that was propped up in Mikasa’s palm. His face was gaunt and marred by strange markings. His eyes were sunken, cheeks hollowed. Though the moonlight lent a silvery glow to everything, Eren thought that Grisha Jaeger’s face would be that same unhealthy pallor even in proper lighting.

His hair was longer and he did look older and more worn than the man in Eren’s vague memories but there was no doubt about it.

It seemed that the souls of the two who had been Eren’s parents back when he was a human had found each other in this life as well. Wasn’t that romantic?

“Eren, he’s burning up,” Mikasa told him, the previous uncertainly all gone. Her hand was gentle as it stroked the man’s sweaty forehead.

And then the man opened his eyes.

A faint noise escaped his lips as he squinted at Mikasa, head shifting as he leaned into her touch.

“Wh…who’s there?”

He sounded whispery and hoarse, as if it took all of his strength to even breathe those words.

“It’s me, Dr. Jaeger. Mikasa.”

“Mi…ka…sa. My…child…”

Eren felt more than saw Mikasa’s entire body freeze. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Yes,” she murmured after a pause. “It’s me.”

“I…failed. I…”

“What do you mean by that? Why were you a titan?”

“I don’t…have much time left. The basement. Mikasa, you must get to the basement of our old home.”

“What are you- Shiganshina is _gone_ , Dr. Jaeger. There’s no way-”

“You must! The answer is there. Everything.” The man’s voice, which had gained a modicum of strength when he spoke of the basement, began to fade once more, the words slowing and slurring. Eren had to strain to hear his heartbeat and even then, it was weak.

This man was dying.

“M’ksa,” Grsiha mumbled, head lolling to the side and eyes closing. “Sorry I didn’t protect you. Carla…”

He didn’t speak again.

A moment later, his breathing ceased along with his heartbeat.

There was no emotion visible on Mikasa’s face when she rose and turned to face Eren but she allowed herself to be drawn into an embrace, Eren’s arms folding around her in silent comfort.

“When he said the answer was there, he was talking about titans, wasn’t he?” She spoke lowly into his ear, grim certainty evident in her tone.

“Probably,” Eren answered, smoothing a hand down her spine. His eyes were on Grisha Jaeger’s still form. “He could turn into one after all. It’s likely that he knows something the rest of humanity is unaware of.”

Mikasa didn’t say anything else and neither did Eren. There was nothing to say.

 

~

 

They didn’t have to bury Grisha.

His body didn’t last long before it broke down the same way a titan’s did, a steaming set of clothes the only remnants that he was once there. The two of them watched in silence until he was gone.

“What now?” Mikasa asked, gaze fixed on the spot where her adoptive father had been.

“I have an idea of sorts. But I need to confirm something first.”

Mikasa turned to him, one eyebrow raised in question. Eren only smiled.

“Not yet. I’ll tell you soon, both of you.”

And because Mikasa was Mikasa, she didn’t push him any further, calmly accepting the fact that Eren would do as promised. If he were capable of guilt, he would be experiencing it now for the fact he intended to take her soul one day. But Eren was a demon and content about it, so all he felt was a surge of fierce pleasure.

“We should tell Armin about this.”

“Of course,” Eren agreed wholeheartedly. He had a feeling that Armin would be miffed about missing out but he would also understand that it couldn’t be helped.

Eren took a step towards Mikasa, intending to lift her into his arms so that they could leave, but his gaze was drawn to the empty clothes in front of them and he paused in spite of himself. A thought crossed his mind, pointless and sentimental, downright stupid really. And yet-

Eren was a demon. He had been a demon for so long that not even the faintest remnant of humanity remained within him. He retained none of the love he had once felt so strongly for the man and woman who gave birth to him, and he certainly felt no grief at the passing of this recent incarnation of his father’s soul.

And yet, he couldn’t help but want…

“Hey, Mikasa?” His hesitance was obvious in his tone. He grimaced but met her eyes squarely. “Would you be opposed to me taking on the name Jaeger?”

She actually gaped at that, eyes widening and mouth parting. It was understandable considering how sudden and unexpected the request was. Eren himself wasn’t sure what he was thinking.

Did he even need a last name?

No, of course not. But all the same, it was an appealing prospect. Fate had seen fit to draw those two souls together again after all these centuries, and Eren couldn’t help but want a part of that. He still remembered them after all, the parents who’d been violently ripped from him in that distant life.

“Why?”

Eren couldn’t tell her the truth about this. It made little sense in his own head, he wasn’t about to try and articulate it even if he had any intention of showing that kind of vulnerability to her.

“They were your family, this man and that woman. It seems appropriate enough.”

“You’ve never asked before.”

“I never considered it before.”

Mikasa was silent for a moment, her skepticism almost palpable.

“It’s not my right anyway, you know.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Eren stood still as Mikasa closed the little distance between them and took his face in her hands. Her palms were cold as they lightly dragged over the skin of his cheeks and chin.

“You have her face. Carla’s. I always thought it was because you based your human appearance on her that day in Shiganshina. But even in this form, you…”

She trailed off, confusion evident in her expression. Eren knew that she wanted an answer, one that he couldn’t – wouldn’t – give her. But neither did he lie to his contractors.

“It’s a strange world, isn’t it?”

Mikasa intently stared into his eyes for a long few seconds before sighing, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

“Eren Jaeger does sound nice.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you guessed last chapter that Grisha was the titan in Trost. Sorry if any of you were expecting him to last long though. Speaking of, the original draft involved Grisha surviving for a few more months as well as some interaction between him and Eren but then the plot mutated as it is wont to do.
> 
> I have a question: Does the anime/manga ever mention _where_ the Survey Corps HQ is located? Not the old castle which is the former HQ but their current one?


	6. The Second Contract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren didn’t even finish the sentence before he climbed on to the bed, moving towards them on all fours before Reiner could process what he was doing. His mind continued to draw a blank as Eren _crawled on top of Bertl_ without so much as a by your leave and _buried his face in Bertl’s neck_.
> 
> Reiner could only sit there and stare.
> 
> Maybe he was dreaming. He’d always had some weirdass dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Eren’s surname too much to keep it from him. I am weak.

Eren had a lot on his mind.

That itself was nothing new given how he always had a lot occupying his thoughts. But typically, they were trivial things like titan slaying fantasies, the flavors of different souls, the desire to gut some of the humans he came across…

But this was different.

A lot had happened recently. Even mopping up titans and helping with the reconstruction in Trost wasn’t enough to take Eren’s mind away from that hectic day. Mikasa put up her typical stoic front but it was clear that she was still reeling from then incident with Grisha Jaeger. But Eren left her in Armin’s care, knowing full well that the boy would provide better emotional support than Eren ever could.

He had his own thoughts to make sense of anyway.

He still didn’t know why he went and took on the name of Jaeger. He couldn’t even write it off as a moment of whimsy since the first thing he’d done once the situation in Trost calmed down was to find Shadis and enquire after the proper paperwork. Their tyrant of an instructor had seemed downright shocked upon hearing Eren’s request but he hadn’t commented on it, only providing the necessary details with his usual brusqueness. Eren had been curious about the way he felt Shadis’s eyes boring into his back as he left.

Perhaps he’d known the Jaegers. But that was unimportant.

What was important was that Eren was now Eren Jaeger, a fact he was simultaneously pleased and frustrated about.

He liked the name and the way it fell off his tongue as if it were always meant to be this way.

Eren Jaeger.

Hunter.

He could live with that regardless of his concern about the uncharacteristic impulse that had prompted him to take it on in the first place. The borrowed name fit him as if it were made for him. That was enough.

The name wasn’t the only thing on his mind but the other prominent topic was far more pleasant, though just as consuming. To put it plainly, Eren just couldn’t stop thinking about _him_.

The man who had slain titans as if he were born into it. The man whose soul made Eren quiver with want even now. The man whom they called Humanity’s Strongest, a title that was so clearly deserved.

Captain Levi.

Eren longed for him. It was ridiculous how a single human soul could affect him this way but he couldn’t even find it in himself to complain. Perhaps he should be grateful instead. Eren had met others of his kind in the past and while most were thankfully brief encounters, there was one demon whom he’d known for a considerable amount of time. She had told him of the way a particular soul had called to her, igniting in her the need to _have_ it at all costs. Much, much later, she had told him of how glorious that soul had tasted when she ripped it out and took it for her own.

That was what Eren wanted to do.

To take that bright, _bright_ soul of fire and pain for himself.

It was all he could think about at some moments, his very being seized by a yearning so intense, it was physically painful. Eren felt too full for his human skin during those times, his wings and fangs and claws threatening to burst forth in tandem with the restless energy burning in him.

He had tried to catch a glimpse of Captain Levi after that first fateful meeting but the man was nowhere to be found in Trost. He had chanced across the titan enthusiast, Hange Zoe, but he’d been wise enough to skirt clear of them rather than risk another interrogation.

The only thing that kept him from actively searching for the man was the knowledge that he was part of the Scouting Legion, the branch Eren and his humans would soon join. While their military careers had been put on hold in the wake of Trost being breached, it was only a matter of time before they were allowed to join their chosen branches.

Eren could wait a little longer.

And in the mean time, there were other things he had to take care of.

Very important things.

 

~

 

Reiner stared, nonplussed, at their impromptu visitor.

It was not the identity of the person or the late hour of the visit that bothered him but rather the fact that Eren was smiling. No, he was grinning, teeth and all. His eerie golden eyes seemed to glow from it.

It was fucking creepy.

Eren wasn’t really a gloomy guy. He wasn’t the most talkative person out there but he was quite animated when he allowed himself to be drawn into conversations. In the past, most of Reiner’s time with him had been spent practicing drills or in comfortable silence. He would even say that he liked Eren when he wasn’t gleefully announcing that he wanted to join the Scouting Legion and kill titans.

Killing titans seemed to be Eren’s motivation for wanting to be a Scout. Reiner naturally found that a little off-putting but until the recent incident in Trost, he had assumed that most of it was bravado and that Eren would ultimately opt for another branch or, more regrettably, end up as titan food.

But then Wall Rose was breached and Reiner found out first-hand that Eren wholeheartedly _meant it_ when he said he wanted to kill titans.

He hadn’t ceased grinning since, his perpetual cheer sticking out like a sore thumb amidst all the grief. Most didn’t even notice, caught up in their own loss, but Reiner did. It was as if all the death and bloodshed meant nothing to Eren, as if he was utterly content with the opportunity to slaughter titans. And that was precisely what he had done. He’d _slaughtered_ them, drenching himself in blood and laughing all the while.

It wasn’t a sight Reiner would ever forget.

“H-hi, Eren,” Bertl stuttered out from beside him. He didn’t need to look at his friend to know that he was sweating buckets. While Reiner only had to witness Eren’s bloodthirst from afar, Bertl had been on the receiving end of it for a brief instant. Though Reiner could admire the sheer guts it took to charge at the goddamn Colossal Titan, the information mostly served to unsettle him further.

Eren was dangerous and possibly insane. A little wariness was warranted.

“Hey, boys,” Eren greeted. He shut the door behind him and walked inside, still smirking.

Eren was silent as he walked towards the two of them, stopping at the foot of the bed. He just stood there and stared at Bertl who was sprawled on his back on the mattress before shifting his gaze to Reiner who was sitting cross-legged beside Bertl.

Reiner endured the scrutiny calmly, curious but waiting for Eren to say what he wanted. But when the other boy only continued to stare between them silently, he spoke up.

“What’s going on, Eren? Did you want anything?”

“Huh? Oh yeah. You could say that. I just wanted to see…”

Eren didn’t even finish the sentence before he climbed on to the bed, moving towards them on all fours before Reiner could process what he was doing. His mind continued to draw a blank as Eren _crawled on top of Bertl_ without so much as a by your leave and _buried his face in Bertl’s neck_.

Reiner could only sit there and stare.

Maybe he was dreaming.

He’d always had some weirdass dreams. Because there was no real way Eren was…was…what the hell was he even doing?

A strange croaking noise came from beside him, startling Reiner out of his trance. He realized the sound came from Bertl just as Eren finally straightened up, still straddling Bertl but no longer lying on him.

“Did you just…smell me?”

Bertl’s voice sounded quieter than usual. It was little more than a wheeze actually. Reiner wasn’t surprised to find him flushed an unattractive red. He wondered what the expression on his own face was and why the hell he couldn’t find his damned voice.

“Maybe,” Eren answered with a wink – a fucking _wink_ – as if he had done nothing weird at all.

And then a hand fisted in Reiner’s shirt and drew him into a quasi-embrace, Eren’s nose pressing to the hollow of his throat and taking what was unmistakably a long sniff.

A sound like a dying mouse came from below them.

It was over in an instant and Eren was suddenly not on the bed but standing on the floor beside it, a crooked grin on his lips.

“Alright, that’s all. I’ll be going now. Take care, Reiner, Bertolt.”

Eren was almost at the door when Reiner finally recovered enough to find his voice.

“Wait a minute! The hell, Eren? What’d you do that for?”

Eren looked at them over his shoulder. Reiner had to fight back a shiver at the wild grin painting his face.

“Well, you see, I was considering having sex with you two but then I changed my mind. I think you guys would do better without me anyway.”

And then he was gone, leaving behind stunned silence.

“You know,” Reiner broke it after several long minutes had passed, thoughtful now that the shock was gone. “I wouldn’t have been all that opposed. Even if he is a crazy shit. Do you think our smell put him off or something? Is it like a weird fetish?”

Bertl made another whimpering sound. Reiner absently patted his head.

Eren really was fucking insane.

But he was hot.

Goddammit.

 

~

 

Mikasa was trembling.

But it wasn’t in fear or shock but pure, unadulterated rage.

Eren put an arm around her shoulders and tucked an equally furious Armin under his other arm. He could feel it, the tumultuous blend of rage and pain that stirred in the souls of his two humans. He closed his eyes and basked in the thrilling sensations, holding his humans a little tighter.

Naturally, they were taking this harder than Eren. It was not only old wounds that smarted at this revelation but fresh ones caused by the deaths of many of their fellow trainees. Even Marco, the kind-hearted human who had always tried too hard to take care of them all, was gone.

Armin was the first to speak, the words clear despite the roughness of his voice.

“Bertolt really is the Colossal Titan?”

“Yeah,” Eren replied. Neither of them truly needed the confirmation but Eren felt it would do them good to hear it again. “Reiner is one too and I don’t think it’s a stretch to think he’s the Armored Titan. That leaves Annie and Ymir. I haven’t approached them yet but I doubt it’s necessary. The four of them aren’t fully human.”

“I’ll kill them.” It was Mikasa who spoke, every iota of her anger audible in that low hiss.

“No,” Armin said before Eren could. He seemed calmer already. “We can’t do anything without solid proof. And even if you were to manage to end them without anyone finding out, Mikasa, it wouldn’t solve anything. Humans that can turn into titans… first Dr. Jaeger, now four of our comrades! There’s so much – too much – we don’t know. Killing… killing them won’t give us any answers. I know why you want to, Mikasa, but we need-”

“-to handle this carefully,” Eren finished for him. “Any idea how?”

Armin slumped, not in dejection but in thought. Eren lightly ruffled his hair and turned his head to look at Mikasa, who was tense all over and staring straight ahead, bloodless lips pressed into a straight line. He lightly bumped her head with his and met her furious gaze calmly.

“I know you want revenge for what they did. But you know you can’t rush in.”

Her frown said exactly what she thought about having to wait but she grudgingly nodded, tipping sideways to rest her head on Eren’s shoulder with a heavy sigh. Eren ran his hand up and down her arm soothingly, nuzzling into her hair.

She would calm down soon. But she’d nurse the rage inside her, turning it into fuel for her power. And when the time was right, she’d unleash it without mercy.

Fire wrapped in thin ice. That was Mikasa.

“I snooped around a little,” Armin suddenly said from beside Eren. “Talked to the Scouting Legion members helping in Trost. I didn’t learn much but the general impression seems to be that Commander Smith is very devoted to his cause. And I was thinking…if we can offer them this information along with Eren’s abilities, they might be more inclined to not lock us up.”

“And if they still try to? My experience so far suggests that humans typically don’t react well to demons. You two are exceptions.”

Armin shrugged.

“Honestly, Eren? I don’t think humans are in any condition to be picky, especially not the Scouting Legion. Erwin Smith is a renowned strategist. A man that smart must be practical enough to accept help from you. I’m mostly banking on that, as well general desperation. And if it doesn’t work…we might have to go over the walls on our own to the basement Dr. Jaeger mentioned.”

Eren remained silent for a while. As far as plans went, it was a straightforward one. That was probably for the best.

“Sounds good to me. Any objections, Mikasa?”

She mumbled a negative, not raising her head from Eren’s shoulder.

“That’s settled then. I guess we just have to wait till we join the Legion. Meanwhile, don’t act any different around those four. Avoid them if you need to but don’t let it show that you know.”

Both Armin and Mikasa voiced their assent, the latter more reluctantly than the former. But Eren knew she’d keep her composure and it wasn’t as if most people could discern any sort of emotion in Mikasa’s usual expression.

The time to act would come.

His humans would be patient until then, and so would Eren.

He wondered how challenging it would be to fight a titan with a human’s intelligence. It would be fun, he was certain.

 

~

 

It was a while before Mikasa got up to leave.

Curfew had come and gone a while ago but there was a certain amount of leniency these days as the surviving trainees sought comfort in each other. Still, it might be troublesome if Mikasa actually slept in the boys’ barracks.

Eren stood up to join her, intent on coaxing her into a spar. He doubted she would sleep tonight and a good fight would give her a way to work out some of the frustration tangible in the rigid lines of her body. But before he could take more than a few steps, Armin called out.

“Wait, Eren. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

Mikasa’s reaction was instantaneous. She whipped around, narrowed eyes falling on Armin who returned her glare with a slightly apologetic expression.

“Sorry, Mikasa. But we talked about this. I’ve made up my mind.”

Oh, what was this? Were his humans plotting behind his back? That should be interesting.

Armin and Mikasa stared at each other for several seconds in tense silence, a battle of wills that Eren observed without comment. It was easy to see who would win. Armin looked more determined than Eren had ever seen him while the anger in Mikasa’s expression became more and more resigned with each passing moment.

“Fine,” she finally caved, looking none too happy about it. She threw Eren a helpless glance. “ _Fine_.”

And then she was gone in a flurry of red.

Eren raised an eyebrow at Armin and received a sheepish smile in response.

“Sorry, we…had a disagreement about something.”

“I can see that.”

“It involved you.”

“I can see that too.”

A pregnant pause followed but it didn’t last. Armin drew in a deep breath, as if he was gathering all his courage, and sat up ramrod straight, looking right into Eren’s eyes with the same determination as before.

“Eren, I wanted to ask you if it’s possible for you to form a contract with more than one person.”

Eren stared, blinked and then stared some more.

Finally, as Armin only continued to sit there with a completely serious face, he smirked.

“Oh, _Armin_!” Eren wanted to take the boy into his arms but he refrained with great effort. “Of course it’s possible. The older a demon, the more contracts they can hold. And I happen to be old enough.”

Armin appeared relieved to hear that but it was marred by his visible anxiety. Eren only smiled wider.

“You should have told me earlier that you were interested. You _know_ I love your soul.”

Oddly enough, that didn’t help abate Armin’s nervousness.

“Um, well, the thing is… I wasn’t interested before. It’s only after Trost that I…”

Eren waited, making a conscious effort to tone down his excitement a little, as Armin assembled his thoughts.

“I almost died then. I would have if not for you. And I hate that I had to rely on you and I hate it even more that there’s no real basis for me to rely on you. You’re a demon, Eren. Even though I love you as a friend, I know that the way you think of us is different. But even so, I… I’m grateful that you protected me, that you said you would continue to protect me. But I want to become someone who’s more than a liability. I want to stand on my own two feet with the two of you, not behind you. And more than anything, I want live long enough to see it…the world outside these walls. The ocean, the lands of ice, the rivers of fire – all of which you said existed. I want to live, Eren.”

He listened keenly to Armin’s rambling speech, rising in pitch with each sentence, determination and desperation audible in each vehement sound. He had a good idea exactly what Armin was leading up to.

“Tell me something, Armin. Do you want to become my contractor because that would guarantee your survival or because you feel that your soul is a worthy price to pay for my services?”

The humorless smile that graced the boy’s face was answer enough.

“It could be both?”

Eren shook his head, amused in spite of himself.

“Nice try but I don’t believe you. What did you tell Mikasa?”

“The truth. She tried to convince me otherwise, that things are fine as they are. But this is something I want to do.”

“You know I won’t turn you away, right? Even though I also think that you are perfect the way you are, I won’t turn you away. I told you that day in Trost that your soul would taste sweet. I’m only too eager to lay claim to it.”

This time, Armin’s smile was more animated.

“I remember. It’s what gave me this idea in the first place. I’m not lying about wanting to survive though. I don’t think you understand just how much I yearn to see the world, Eren. When you confirmed that all those things that sounded so fantastic actually existed, I…it meant so much to me. I want to see it, all of it.”

Eren hadn’t even realized that he’d been slowly creeping towards Armin until he found himself almost on top of the diminutive human, their faces mere inches away. He raised a hand and placed it on Armin’s cheek, fingers splaying along the soft skin.

“So delicate yet so hard. You would be as worthy a contractor as Mikasa. Very well, Armin. I accept. The world can be a beautiful place and I will show you its wonders.”

He drew back, smiling uncontrollably. There were too many teeth in his mouth. He felt as if he could fly on the force of his joy alone. Armin was going to be _his_.

It was glorious.

“Now strip.”

Of all the things they’d both just said, that was what shocked Armin.

“Wh-what?!”

“Relax, I have no designs upon your body. Save your virginity for Mikasa.”

“ _What?_ No, no, Eren-”

He placed a finger on Armin’s lips, silencing his panicked protests.

“I need to take your blood for the contract. That involves biting and it would best if it’s in a less visible place. Shoulder, maybe? It’s unlikely that anyone would notice in any case but there’s no need to chance it.”

“Ah…okay.”

Armin stood up and slipped out of his shirt, revealing a body that remained stubbornly slight despite the muscle it accumulated. Anticipation bloomed inside Eren. He had never forged multiple contracts before. He knew instinctively that he could handle quite a few in his current capacity, four at least, but this was his first time trying it out.

He noticed that Armin was shaking ever so slightly. He smiled at him in what he hoped was a soothing manner but from the way Armin suddenly paled, he assumed it had the opposite effect.

“It’ll be over in a flash, Arm.”

A strained grimace answered him.

“Just…go ahead and do it.”

And why would Eren refuse that?

He gently pulled Armin into his arms and sank his teeth into a milk-white shoulder.

Sour-sweet blood coated his tongue as the contract slid into place, mixing and mingling with the threads of power of Mikasa’s contract. The new soul he laid claim to fluttered against his senses, a teasing hint of what would come.

Eren had been right.

Armin’s soul did indeed taste sweet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been remiss not to say this before but thank out so much for all the support for this fic. Each kudos, comment and bookmark make me more happy than I can put into words.
> 
> One of my favorite scenes so far is in this chapter. Care to guess which?


	7. Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Either Smith had great instincts or a bird just wasn’t built to be covert because the moment Eren flew in through the conveniently open window, the human glanced up, ice-blue eyes narrowing at Eren is visible confusion.
> 
> Eren landed on the desk with less grace than he would have liked and squarely met Smith’s gaze.
> 
> “A… _bird_?”
> 
> Smith continued staring, pen hovering in midair.
> 
> What, was he expecting a bird to answer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me so much trouble.
> 
> But hey, more Levi and even Levi POV. Also, more pseudo-crack.

Some days later, there was an inspection.

Unlike the humans around him, Eren didn’t doubt the need for it nor the decision to check for culprits among trainees. If someone felt the need to eliminate the test subject titans, Eren could all too easily imagine it being one of them. Revenge could be a powerful motivator and it often defied logic.

But ultimately, the perpetrator was not found.

It was on the same day that they finally got to choose their respective military branches. Cleaning up Trost had postponed the graduation ceremony and only now had things calmed down enough to proceed with it. For Eren and his humans – and they were _both_ really his now, a fact that made him childishly giddy whenever he thought about it – it wasn’t a hard choice. They were set on the Scouting Legion. He wasn’t certain about the others, nor did he care all that much, but Jean’s terrified determination to join the Legion was a scene that even he couldn’t yet forget.

Trost had doubtlessly influenced a lot of them and in different ways.

Even Armin seemed unsettled after the inspection, growing more and more pensive with each passing moment. Any attempt at enquiry was shrugged off with an absent smile and a soft promise to talk later. Eren wasn’t too worried. Armin would speak up once he got his thoughts in order. That was the kind of person he was.

Meanwhile, Mikasa showed only hard-faced determination as the ceremony drew closer. Brave and brazen as always, his girl.

Unlike the two of them, Eren was excited. Not only because he’d been waiting for some time to explore his titan-killing prospects as part of the Legion but also because joining them meant encountering that man once again. Captain Levi was as much a face of the Legion as Commander Smith and since Armin seemed set on revealing their situation to the Commander, there was a good chance that the Captain would be drawn in as well.

Eren hoped so. Even if he wasn’t, Eren would find a way to get him involved.

He had plans for that human.

Erwin Smith was the first to give his speech and it was…the singularly least persuasive speech Eren had ever heard in his life. It was not that the man lacked charisma or drive. In fact, he had both in excess, each word of his dripping with the force of his will. But the bleak picture painted by them was not one that most of these human children who had already grown up too fast were be eager to be part of.

Four years of wasted effort, the high mortality rate, building a new route and the potential casualties of that endeavor… it was unsurprising that many left.

But some didn’t.

_Are you willing to offer your beating hearts for mankind?_

Some were willing.

Eren was impressed in spite of himself. Except by Ymir, Reiner and Bertolt. Of those three, he was suspicious. Annie had left for the Military Police as she’d always said but it was likely that even that had a reason beyond her stated ones.

It was convenient in a way as it allowed Eren to keep an eye on them as well as to kill or capture any if that proved necessary. He would prefer to fight them, if only for the fun it would be sure to provide, but at times, the wishes of his humans came first.

They were his priority after all.

 

~

 

Later that night, Armin shared what had been bothering him all day.

It was Annie.

It was not a stretch to assume that she was the one who killed the captured titans, especially not when considering that she was one of those who could potentially become titans. There was no other reason for her to use a dead man’s gear either.

Once again, it was Mikasa who was the most livid out of them, wound up tight with all that anger that had no outlet. Armin wasn’t too better off, his expression a potent blend of grief and fury. It was not only about the disrespect of using the gear of a boy who died fighting titans for the sake of titans; Eren was certain that it had occurred to them all that Annie possessing Marco’s gear also suggested another kind of foul play.

Had she been the one to kill Marco?

The most obvious answer was also the most unpleasant. Eren knew that both Mikasa and Armin had been fond of Marco. Even Eren himself, who was generally disdainful of _nice_ humans, had to admit that Marco had been a pleasant boy. His humans were justified in their anger.

But for now, they could not act on it.

Other things demanded their attention.

“I guess you now have more information to tell Smith, Armin.”

The boy nodded, brightening just a little.

“When are you going to do it? The Commander is unlikely to stay here for long.” It was Mikasa who spoke but she was looking at the wall rather than at Armin. She hadn’t been surprised when they revealed that Armin had entered into a contract. But just because she was expecting it didn’t mean she wasn’t angry, and she’d had few words to spare for the two of them these last few days. What struck Eren as strange was the way the bulk of her displeasure seemed directed at Armin rather than Eren. One would think that the soul-sucking demon would be the prime target of her ire.

Then again, Mikasa had always been exceptionally accepting of what Eren was. Maybe it was Armin’s choice she found fault in. Either way, Eren was sure she would come around soon enough. And Armin, after his initial dismay, seemed to have resigned himself to weathering her anger.

“He’ll leave tomorrow morning. No matter what, we need to talk to him before that. Who knows how long it will take to see him again and we can’t just sit on this information! Only… well, I don’t know how we can see him. He’s a commander and we can’t just march up to his door and demand to talk to him alone. I thought we’d have time to request an audience but rather than go to the Survey Corps HQ, it seems we’ll be undergoing extra training of some sort. We probably won’t see him again until it’s time for next month’s expedition.”

Ah, practical difficulties. They were Eren’s least favorite type of obstacles.

But even if they somehow managed to catch Smith alone in that short window of time, it would be a chore to make him listen rather than outright dismiss the three of them as lunatics. It could be done, certainly, but it would be troublesome.

Unless…

Eren stared at Armin, who was still reciting the difficulties they were facing with a distressed but thoughtful expression. He was a smart kid. But he had a tendency to rely on carefully crafted plans and logical arguments. In that regard, he was he exact opposite of Eren.

And perhaps that would work to their advantage this time.

Eren leaned forward and clamped a hand over Armin’s mouth, halting his rapid stream of words.

Two sets of inquiring eyes turned to him and he grinned.

“I have an idea. Want to hear?”

 

~

 

“Are you _sure_ this is a good idea, Eren?”

“Not really.”

“ _Eren_.”

He smirked at the dual reprimands. At least Mikasa and Armin were talking casually again, their previous awkwardness forgotten in the face of Eren’s admittedly outrageous plan.

But even though the execution was rather ridiculous when compared to the approach Armin preferred, Eren knew that doing things his way would put only himself at risk. And even that wasn’t a considerable risk given that the humans could do very little to him. That was not the case with Armin and Mikasa, and what kind of a demon would he be if he couldn’t protect his contractors until their time came?

That was why, despite Armin’s mounting concern and Mikasa’s obvious doubts, Eren was increasingly convinced with each passing moment that he was doing the smart thing.

“Calm down, would you? You know as well as I do that this is our best bet. Had conditions been ideal, we could have waited but they’re not and we need to act. Commander Smith will leave in a matter of hours. There’s no time to waste.”

Neither of them looked all that reassured. If anything, they seemed resigned. But they didn’t stop Eren when he slipped out the window of their soon-to-be-former barracks. Armin smiled nervously at him once he was outside and Mikasa nodded solemnly. It was as if they were doing his share of worrying as well. It was pretty cute.

Eren turned away from them only to pause and look back.

“Armin. Mikasa. I need you both to trust me. If this works and you’re summoned by the commander, you may hear some unexpected things. Go along with it.”

Eren didn’t wait for their response, knowing that they would listen.

He checked to see that there were no eyes on him, and _flew_.

Dawn was breaking and the skies were still dark but there were plenty of drowsy soldiers out and about. Eren’s hawk body attracted no attention from them which would not have been the case had he chosen to sneak around in his human body. Armin had told him of the building where the Scouting Legion’s officers were staying but he’d not known where Commander Smith’s room was. That was for Eren to find out.

It proved to be easier than expected when the third window he peeked into showed none other than the blond mountain sitting at a desk, scrawling away with his pen and appearing entirely too awake for the hour.

Either Smith had great instincts or a bird just wasn’t built to be covert because the moment Eren flew in through the conveniently open window, the human glanced up, ice-blue eyes narrowing at Eren is visible confusion.

Eren landed on the desk with less grace than he would have liked and squarely met Smith’s gaze.

“A… bird?”

Smith continued staring, pen hovering in midair.

What, was he expecting _a bird_ to answer?

Eren shouldn’t disappoint him then.

Shifting felt blissfully freeing, the hawk body too confining when he wasn’t soaring high in the air. Eren chose his human body rather than his true one, the wisdom of easing the man before him into awareness winning over the selfish desire to see the expression on his face if a winged demon were to suddenly appear before him.

“Not really, no,” Eren answered, though it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

“I’m dreaming.”

To Smith’s credit, he was utterly calm save for his wide and wondering eyes. Even the words were stated matter-of-factly as if there was no other possible explanation.

Eren would be only too happy to ruin that assumption.

“You’re not.”

His words went ignored.

“This is a very lucid dream, not to mention much calmer than my usual ones.” Smith’s gaze was still on Eren but there was a glint in his eyes that was eerily similar to the one that sometimes appeared in Armin’s, except more prominent and polished. Eren had a feeling that he was looking at the future version of his cute little human.

Oblivious to Eren’s sudden displeasure, Smith continued his monologue. “I don’t understand why one of our most promising new recruits is in here. Cadet Eren, who recently took on the name of Jaeger. I’m certainly curious about you but would that warrant your appearance in my dream? And why a bird? I-”

“Oh, for hell’s sake,” Eren cut him off, torn between amusement and annoyance. “You’re not dreaming.”

Smith just looked at him in a way that was so blatantly humoring that Eren saw red for an instant.

Mentally whispering a token apology to Armin, Eren reached towards the pen Smith had discarded. The human watched his movements curiously but made no attempt to stop him. He started a little when Eren took hold of his arm, thick as a trunk and about as hard. Some caution crept into his expression when Eren rolled back the sleeve of his shirt, exposing the fine-haired, muscular forearm.

He was pleased to see that Smith appeared confused once more.

“Commander Smith,” Eren said in a gentle voice that belied his intention. “I am Eren and I am a demon. You’re not dreaming.”

And then he stabbed then pen into the human’s forearm.

It didn’t sink in past the tip before Eren was violently thrown off. He shifted back into a bird just as he was about to hit the floor. He hovered in the middle of the room, eyes intent on Smith who was standing and staring at the pinprick of red on his arm with his mouth partly open. He took his eyes off the tiny wound and looked at Eren, actually stumbling back a step as he found a bird in his room again.

Unfortunately, Smith was far too quick to retrieve his composure or at least most of it. He straightened up, brows furrowing thoughtfully as he regarded Eren. The sole remaining trace of his alarm was the way he dropped limply to his chair and gripped the armrests, knuckles white with the force exerted.

Damn cool-headed humans ruining his fun. If Eren could have pouted with a beak, he would have.

“I see. Not a dream then. But a _demon_? I must ask why you are here.”

Eren flew over to the human who watched him warily all the while. Eren perched on the man’s uninjured arm and waited. Though Smith tensed, he made no attempt to harm Eren other than with the heavy weight of his stare.

Erwin Smith was an intense man.

Only once he deemed it unlikely that Smith would attack him did Eren turn back into his human form.

Ideally, he would have landed on his feet on the floor, leaning against the chair and smirking down at Smith.

 _Ideally_.

What actually happened was that the sudden shift to a drastically different shape from a rather precarious perch sent him tumbling right off of it and straight on to Smith’s spacious lap.

On one hand, it was unexpectedly comfortable. On the other, with his face planted against the Legion Commander’s chest was _not_ the way Eren intended on ending up any time in the course of this meeting.

He peeled his face off the human’s shirt and raised his head, finding himself staring right into the glazed blue eyes of the man who seemed frozen in shock.

Ah, well. What was done was done. It was time to get the ball rolling and maybe get off this guy’s lap, no matter how cozy it was.

“Yes, I am a demon,” Eren said with great dignity. “And I’m here to offer you my help.”

His words snapped Smith out of his daze and that frown returned to his expression, accompanied by pure bewilderment. He opened his mouth to say words that never came out.

Because that was when the door burst open and Humanity’s Strongest strode in.

 

~

 

In hindsight, Levi should have knocked.

He usually did, even with Hange, but this time, the urgent desire to get the hell out of this place had taken over, each dust-covered nook and cranny making Levi’s hands itch with the need to clean up this whole sorry building until it fucking sparkled. This was why he hated temporary lodging. There was usually neither time to nor any point in cleaning but there was also no other occupation to keep his mind off it until he could leave.

Levi was frustrated and he had every intention of dragging Erwin out of here as fast as possible, the early hour notwithstanding. They were supposed to leave early anyway.

Now though, he was severely regretting his decision because he had not planned on walking in on Erwin getting is rocks off with some random-

Wait.

That was a _kid_ on his lap.

Not a child but rather a young man. From where he was standing, Levi could see the insignia of crossed swords on his uniform. A trainee then, probably one of the recent graduates.

He had no idea that Erwin was into jailbait.

As Levi stood at the entrance, wanting to leave but rooted in place, the boy slid off Erwin’s lap with apparent nonchalance and smoothed down his uniform. Levi automatically focused on him, not intending to do more than a quick perusal of the guy, and almost started at the unfortunately familiar face that stared back at him. The boy was _beaming_ at Levi, the expression just as disconcerting as it had been when he’d first seen it.

This was the brat from Trost.

Eren Jaeger, one of the two who’d garnered a fair amount of attention for their performance during the recent attack. Levi knew he had joined the Scouting Legion but why in hell was he with Erwin, aside from the obvious? More importantly, why the hell was he still looking at Levi with that godawful expression of absolute delight?

Taking another step inside, Levi firmly closed the door behind him. Locked it too for good measure.

“Isn’t he a little too young for you, Erwin?”

“This is not what it looks like.”

Levi raised a brow and meaningfully dragged his gaze between Erwin and Jaeger. The kid actually had the gall to look amused. Then he spoke and everything got worse.

“Did you…think we were going to fuck?”

“What the fuck else? You were sitting _on_ him, brat.”

If nothing else, the way Erwin pinched his brows and looked like he’d rather be anywhere else was an entertaining sight. It wasn’t often that he lost his composure even this much.

“The thought never even crossed my mind,” Jaeger said with a contemplative glance at Erwin that seemed to exacerbate the commander’s consternation. Eerie gold eyes returned to Levi, intent and too damn bright. “I don’t want to sleep with Commander Smith, Captain _Levi_.”

There was something suspicious about Jaeger’s tone. He seemed to be trying to tell Levi something that he really did not want to understand.

Levi could feel a headache coming on and had to resist the urge to massage his brows like Erwin. He had a feeling that it wouldn’t do to show weakness in front of this creepy little shit.

“You’re the one from Trost,” Levi told Jaeger, trying very hard not to remember being called beautiful or the way Jaeger had looked when he said it, like he wanted to eat Levi alive with more zeal than a titan. It was one of the strangest experiences he’d had and that was really saying something. “Why are you here?”

Jaeger shrugged, turning to Erwin who returned the look with a scarily familiar frown of contemplation.

“I was just about to explain that to the Commander but then you showed up, Captain Levi. Not that I’m complaining. It’s always a pleasure to see you.”

The brat was grinning again. Levi wanted to shove a blade down his throat.

“Oh yeah? Mind if I stick around, Erwin?”

Erwin only nodded, still staring at Jaeger. Levi walked over and leaned against the desk beside Erwin’s chair.

“Get on with it then.”

Jaeger smiled and then he…disappeared.

Instead, there was a bird on the floor, a small hawk with the same gleaming gold eyes as the kid that stared right at Levi with an awareness that no bird should possess. For a few moments, Levi just looked at it, his mind utterly blank, struggling to resist an inevitable realization.

All of a sudden, Jaeger was back, sprawled on the floor on his back. There was no bird in sight.

Levi couldn’t take his eyes off the boy as he picked himself up from the floor, dusting off his clothes with an irritated frown.

“I think that trick’s getting old already,” Jaeger told them with a smile that didn’t hide the keen assessment in his eyes.

Levi couldn’t speak, couldn’t even look away from the boy… was he a boy? _What_ was he?

“You said you were a demon,” Erwin finally spoke, sounding too fucking calm. Levi was beginning to suspect that the bird incident hadn’t surprised the man. Then the words finally registered.

“Demon,” Levi stated, deadpan and proud of it. “See, I might be asking for too much here but I’m gonna have to politely ask you two shitstains to explain to me, clearly, what the actual fuck is happening right now unless you want to get real close and personal with the business end of my knife.”

Of course it was Jaeger who answered.

“I have to confess that I wouldn’t mind being on the business end of your knife, Captain Levi.”

He was going to kill this little-

“But I’ll clarify anyway. I am indeed a demon. And I’m here to offer my help to the Scouting Legion. But-” Jaeger grinned and just for an instant, Levi could believe that the boy was a demon. There was nothing human about that smile; too much teeth, too much malice. “I have one condition.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C’mon, not even Erwin would be prepared for a random bird turning into a boy and falling into his lap.  
> …  
> I cracked up writing that sentence.


	8. Of Wants and Needs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Silly human,” Eren breathed, smiling. A few inches forward and he could kiss Levi. But that wasn’t what he wanted. “You don’t trust demons. That’s why there are contracts.”
> 
> And then he pulled Levi against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SORRY. I REALLY AM BUT I am a suffering college student and thus a victim to the inevitable attack of finals. Plus I had a dissertation to deal with this year so everything was twice as bad. I’m still not really free since grad school admission won’t grant itself. Plus I also got sucked into Yuri on Ice fandom. Welp. 
> 
>  
> 
> Now about the story: There’s some repetition as we view the last scene from Eren’s perspective, naturally with a whole lot of extra obsessing. Eren, you little creep.
> 
> And Eren and Levi interact again, alone, and well. Welllll. It’s weird, alright? Let’s just say that I wrote Eren in a state that’s the demonic equivalent of thinking with your libido.
> 
> I really hope this chapter makes up for making you all wait so long.

For one long moment, Eren forgot about everything but Levi.

All he could do was stare at the man who’d just walked in, a man he was only truly seeing for the second time. Eren’s entire being burned with a violent yearning, the soul housed in that deceptively delicate body calling out to him. It was as if the intesnity of this pull had faded in his memory with the time that had passed since he met Levi. And now, the reality of it was overtaking Eren, clouding his mind.

He was already ensnared, hopelessly so.

He couldn’t even bring himself to complain.

Fortunately, it seemed like the two humans had also been caught off guard by the situation for it gave Eren enough time to compose himself. He slid off Smith’s lap and instinctually took a few steps towards Levi before coming to a stop. That was harder that it should have been. There was nothing Eren wanted more than to go to Levi and bury himself in the human’s impossible presence.

He wanted…

He _wanted_.

He had to wonder though. Had she felt the same way, that demon he’d once known? Had she too been desperate and on the verge of begging for that one special human to give her access, give her his soul?

But then, she’d had a much easier target, hadn’t she?

Somehow Eren just couldn’t imagine Levi acquiescing to a contract. He wouldn’t even be this appealing to Eren if he were the kind to give in so easily. His spirit was one that was forged in fire – Eren could sense it, could nearly see the blinding brightness of it.

“Isn’t he a little too young for you, Erwin?”

“This is not what it looks like.”

Eren blinked in surprise, torn from his musings by the men’s exchange. When what Levi meant sank in, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Did you…think we were going to fuck?”

The response was immediate and blunt as a rock. “What the fuck else? You were sitting _on_ him, brat.”

Eren hadn’t really thought of it like that. In fact, he hadn’t been concerned with such things ever since he had been summoned to these Walls.

“The thought never even crossed my mind,” he said, sparing a glance for Smith. He was undoubtedly an attractive human but that alone was of no interest to Eren. On the other hand…

He took in Levi’s sharp features, unconventional but appealing all the same. What really drew Eren was what lay under the man’s skin, the bits and pieces that _made_ him, but even so, he would be lying if he said that he’d be opposed to getting involved physically with the man. The way he was now, Eren would gladly jump at the chance to just stand beside Levi and soak in his scent.

It was almost embarrassing, this desperation.

“I don’t want to sleep with Commander Smith, Captain Levi.” _But I’d take you to bed in a heartbeat._

The human only scowled harder.

“You’re the one from Trost. Why are you here?”

Eren smiled, pleased that he had been remembered. He didn’t respond though, instead turning to look at Smith who seemed lost in thought.

“I was just about to explain that to the Commander but then you showed up, Captain Levi. Not that I’m complaining. It’s always a pleasure to see you.”

Every word of that was true. Levi’s sudden appearance had distracted Eren, sent him spiraling down a thoughtless hole of primal desire but now that he had composed himself a little, he could see that this situation was as ideal as it could get.

Levi was _right here_. Eren didn’t even have to seek him out. It was as if the powers that be were conspiring to give Eren all that he wanted. Perhaps this was his compensation for all those years of imprisonment.

Having gained Smith’s permission, Levi settled in. Eren couldn’t look away from him, much like Smith still couldn’t look away from Eren. He was sure that their respective reasons for it were wildly different though.

“Get on with it then,” Levi ordered, and Eren was only too happy to comply.

Using the form from before was the easiest option, even if a part of Eren was tempted to show off in his true form. He didn’t stay long as a bird this time, quickly retaking his human body only to end up sprawled on the floor.

“I think that trick’s getting old already,” he griped as he stood up.

Smith was completely collected this time around but Levi was watching Eren, eyes wide with shock. It was clear that every bit of his attention was on Eren and only Eren.

He liked that very much.

“You said you were a demon.” It was Smith who spoke. There was both curiosity and calculation is his gaze. Before Eren could respond, Levi did.

“Demon.” The human was serene in a way that reminded Eren of the calm before the storm. And he was right. “See, I might be asking for too much here but I’m gonna have to politely ask you two shitstains to explain to me, clearly, what the actual fuck is happening here unless you want to get real close and personal with the business end of my knife.”

Oh.

Yes, he most definitely wanted this one. Now, if possible.

“I have to confess that I wouldn’t mind being on the business end of your knife, Captain Levi.” The words slipped out before he could stop them but Eren didn’t regret it, specially not when it brought a spark of anger to Levi’s eyes. “But I’ll clarify anyway. I am indeed a demon. And I’m here to offer my help to the Scouting Legion. But-”

Eren couldn’t have stopped the smile that took over his face even if he wanted to. He felt almost giddy.

“I have one condition.”

He extended a hand towards Levi, palm open in a deceptively gentle demand.

“I want your soul, Levi.”

 

~

 

Tact had never been Eren’s strong suit. Even all of his prior contacts were forged via forceful appeal on his part or the sheer desperation of the contractor. He’d never been one for subtlety or manipulation, and he had always been spectacularly bad at delicacy in wording.

That was why he currently had a knife buried in his shoulder.

He could have dodged it had he been expecting it but Eren hadn’t been able to do anything other than watch, stunned, as Levi responded to his proposal with an inhumanly swift throw of a knife he had stashed somewhere on him.

The man had impeccable aim. It was glorious.

And because Eren also couldn’t learn his lesson sometimes, he threw back his head and _laughed_ , great, shuddering heaves that shook his entire body. The blade moved with each wave of laughter, sending sharp spikes of delicious pain rippling through his shoulder. Hot blood soaked his clothes and slid down the skin of his arm like a teasing caress.

This was… this was perfect.

Eren got himself back under control soon enough, opening his eyes to see both of the humans gaping at him. Levi’s right hand was held in front of him, hovering awkwardly in the air.

“I suppose I should have phrased that a little less directly,” Eren told him, not even concerned with Smith for the moment. “But you know, I don’t regret it. I just want you even more now, Captain Levi.”

Without breaking contact with those stormy grey eyes, Eren pulled the knife from his shoulder, the slick sound of steel on flesh unnaturally loud in the room. The wound healed almost instantaneously, taking the pain with it. That was actually a little disappointing. Eyes on Levi, who stared at him as if in a trance, Eren licked the blood from the blade and pressed a soft kiss to the sharp tip before holding it out to Levi.

He didn’t take it, only stared at it in seeming incomprehension.

It was Smith who broke the silence.

“Are you alright, Jaeger? I apologize for-”

“Please don’t,” Eren replied before he could finish. “I liked it. Besides, it has already healed.”

He placed the knife on the floor and slid out of his jacket. He pushed off his shirt from the previously injured shoulder. It was bright with blood but he wiped it away to reveal the unmarred flesh underneath.

“See?” he asked, smiling to see that Smith had also risen from his chair. “I told you. I’m a demon.”

Levi didn’t respond as he dropped back into his seat, a scowl making its way back into his features. It was a good look on the man. Smith shot the captain an unreadable look that went unnoticed by the subject before saying, “You keep saying that. But we do not know what that means aside from the bird and now this wound.”

Eren shrugged, not surprised. He knew that they would be ignorant. His intention had only been to shock them into accepting the truth. Even the soul was an opportunistic addition that he would have saved for later had Levi not showed up when he did.

“I can explain that but before, you might want to get Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert here. Both of them know what I am and what I am capable of. I assume that the words of fellow humans would be more credible to you.”

Neither of them protested though Eren saw that Levi’s scowl was getting increasingly dark. Smith looked largely impassive and a little contemplative as he nodded at Eren and, without any further questions, walked towards the door. He looked back at Levi before leaving the room and Eren didn’t know what non verbal exchange was going on between the two of them but after a moment, Levi nodded. Smith left, shutting the door gently behind him.

Eren was alone with Levi.

He smiled. Levi glared.

“I hope he’s not planning to come back with a squad to capture me or something. It won’t work.”

“He went to personally collect the two you mentioned.”

Eren had a good idea why. He wasn’t worried though; both of his humans could handle themselves.

“You’re both taking this very calmly. Honestly, I expected more…hmm, hysterics? Or at least some kind of fuss.”

Levi scoffed at that.

“That knife wasn’t enough of a fuss for you, brat?”

“I’m sure I’m older than you by several generations, Captain Levi,” Eren said mildly, not all that offended. “And you threw that knife for the comment about your soul – which I am absolutely serious about by the way – not for my nature. Are you still in shock or is this just the way you are?”

Unfortunately, he didn’t receive any response.

Silence filled the room as the two of them sat there, staring at each other. Eren was content to watch this human that fascinated him but Levi’s regard had the weight of anger behind it. And maybe it was wishful thinking but Eren thought he also detected some interest in that gaze.

“Why?”

The word was so quiet that Eren almost missed it.

“Why what?”

If possible, Levi looked even more irritated.

“Why did you say you wanted my soul?”

“Ah, that. Well, it’s kinda what we do. Demons, I mean. We forge contracts with humans and fulfill their greatest desires. In return, we take their souls. It’s a win-win situation really.” For some reason, Levi seemed skeptical of that. “That’s not what you wanted to now though, is it? You want to know why I want yours.”

Eren paused, taking in the man in front of him. There was no doubt that was angry but it was a controlled anger. If he was shocked or scared or disgusted, it didn’t show on his face. Something told Eren that none of those emotions were even present. Levi had already accepted the proof Eren was a demon, or at least not human. 

And he wanted to know why Eren made that demand. It wouldn’t hurt to indulge him, would it?

“Demons are… attracted to humans who have experienced pain and suffering. Negative emotions in general are appealing to us – anger, sorrow, pain, hatred. All of it. But a tortured soul is _special_. It tastes-” Eren cut himself off, not wanting to distract himself with that line of thought. “Anyway, souls like that used to be uncommon but a good majority of the people I’ve met in these walls have souls of that kind. You are among them but the particular, ah, flavor of yours is specifically appealing to me. That’s all.”

Eren almost jumped at the force with which Levi’s fist came down on the desk. Was that a dent on the wood?

“Let me get this straight, you shit. You want to eat my _soul_. A thing that may or may not exist.”

“Oh, it exis-”

“And moreover, you want me to give it to you. You actually had the gall to demand that. I don’t know what you’re playing at, _demon_ , but-”

“Humanity’s freedom,” Eren hissed out, not because of fury or fear but the sheer effort it took to stay where he stood instead of rushing to this man and doing something that Eren would surely regret.

Souls had to be given, not taken.

He had to convince this man to give himself to Eren.

“I told you just now that this was an exchange.” He sounded hoarse even to himself. There was a strange thrill pulsing in time to the beat of his heart. “I’m not asking that you give it away for free. In return, I will give you humanity’s freedom. I’ll eradicate every one of the titans, free you of these walls. I will do it all in this lifetime. All I ask in return is this one thing.”

Levi’s eyes were wide again, making him seem younger than before. He stood up and with a grace that was animalistic and savage, he stalked over to Eren who let himself be pulled down so that his eyes were on level with the shorter man’s.

Up close, he could see that Levi’s irises were not pure grey but a blend of blue and grey. They were lovely.

“Bullshit.”

Eren wanted to taste him, to lick into him and see if his flesh tasted as good as his soul surely would.

“Is it?” he murmured, eyes half-closing of their own will. Levi’s scent was intoxicating. “I heal from anything. I cannot die. In the two years before I enlisted, I sneaked out of Wall Rose every month to seek and slay titans. They don’t even notice me. I don’t exist to them. Even when I tear them apart, they don’t care about me. And even if I’m crushed or eaten, I will return unscathed. Tell me, is there any better weapon against them?”

This time, it was Eren who took a step closer until their bodies were almost pressed close.

Levi was so _close_.

Eren placed his own hands on top of Levi’s where they were still twisted in his jacket. He still glared at Eren but the anger from earlier was gone, replaced by something more…something like wonder.

“You believe me,” Eren whispered. He could feel Levi’s breath on his face. “You can see it, can’t you? The ways in which you can use me. All I need is for you to form a contract with me. Levi, please. Give me your soul and I will set you free.”

“And then kill me before I can enjoy that freedom?” Levi’s voice was as low as Eren’s and just as husky. He wondered if the human could feel it too, the exhilarating charge in the scarce air between them.

“I wouldn’t do that. You can enjoy it all you want. But afterwards…”

“Why should I trust you?”

Ah, the golden question.

“Silly human,” Eren breathed, smiling. A few inches forward and he could kiss Levi. But that wasn’t what he wanted. “You don’t trust demons. That’s why there are contracts.”

And then he pulled Levi against him.

The human was tense in his arms as Eren pressed his nose to the back of his ear, breathing him in. There was soap and human sweat and musk that was entirely Levi’s but underneath all that lay what truly wanted. The addictive scent of something that wasn’t even corporeal that burrowed into Eren at a level that transcended the physical.

He shuddered, eyes slipping close as he drew in another deep breath, pressing a little closer to-

\- and unceremoniously doubled over from a knee to his gut, the blunt, throbbing pain doing far little than what Levi probably intended to curb Eren’s mounting pleasure. He dropped to the floor, his hands sliding down from Levi’s shoulders to settle around his waist. Eren’s fingers dug into hard muscle.

He looked up at Levi and whatever the human saw on his face must have affected him more than all the previous incidents combined. Levi opened his mouth to say something but closed it just as quickly. He didn’t look away from Eren nor did he push him away.

Maybe he was as helpless as Eren was.

That would be so good.

“Levi, I-” Eren didn’t even recognize his voice, more growl than words, rumbling deep in his throat as if he were back in his true body. “ _Levi_.”

His clutched tighter at the man, words failing him, and felt the human shiver in his grip.

Eren couldn’t event think anymore. He wanted to- he couldn’t- he had to- would Levi-

The door opened and broke the spell.

It was a woman Eren had never seen before that walked inside, petit and pretty, with coppery hair and smiling eyes.

He wanted to rip her to pieces.

She was oblivious to Eren’s ire, having eyes only for Levi who returned her gaze impassively. Eren saw her eyes flicker to where he kneeled with his arms still locked around Levi and widen comically. He was certain that she even stopped breathing.

It was only then that Eren realized that he was eye-level with Levi’s crotch and that to another, their position would look even more compromising that the one he’d been in with Smith. His partially undressed state and the blood probably didn’t help with the confusion.

Ah, well.

It wasn’t a bad view in any case.

He remained where he was, even grinning up at Levi who glared in response before shifting his attention back to the newcomer. He made no attempt to get away from Eren.

“Petra.”

The woman started at Levi’s voice, seemingly recovering from her shock and snapping a smart salute. But her expression was still a little lost as she stared straight ahead, right at Levi.

“Captain Levi! Commander Smith has ordered that you and Cadet Jaeger be ready for departure in thirty minutes, sir. Cadet Jaegers is to stay with you. His belongings will be collected by Cadet Arlert.”

Eren had been right in assuming that Smith would wish to talk to his humans without Eren around. Mikasa probably hadn’t taken that too well. He was admittedly curious about how that scene had gone.

“I see,” Levi said, low and quiet. He didn’t sound pleased. “Did he mention where we are going?”

“No, sir, only that plans have changed.”

“Of course they’ve fucking changed,” Levi muttered under his breath, not loud enough for Petra to hear. “You may leave now, Petra.”

She obeyed promptly though not without one last glance at Eren who only smiled happily.

And then it was only Eren and Levi again. He liked that much better.

“Oi, get up already.” The tip of a boot not-so-gently prodded Eren’s leg.

“Maybe you kneed me too hard and I can’t.”

“You shrugged off a knife wound within seconds and you expect me to believe a knee to the gut can get you down?”

He noted that the man didn’t attempt to pry Eren’s hands off him or even step away. If anything, he seemed just a little amused. Perhaps. It was entirely possible that Eren was only imagining things.

“This was a lot more – ah how do I say it – _intimate_ than a knife, Levi. I’m a little overwhelmed.”

And he was, in the best way possible. Levi had an unreadable look on his face. It was a little frustrating how hard it was to read him. Smith was no better but Eren was less personally invested in Smith.

“Did you…enjoy that?”

Eren smiled, tilting his head to the side in feigned innocence.

“Of course. I meant it when I said that I wouldn’t mind it if you took a knife to me. But as lovely as your aim was, this is even better. You’re very strong, aren’t you?”

Incredulity saturated Levi’s expression but there was no disgust following it, a fact that made Eren pleased beyond words. He had chosen well, hadn’t he?

“Fucking creep,” Levi muttered and finally stepped away. Eren let him go easily though not without regret.

“Do you want to see me?” The question popped out without thought, reason and restraint alien concepts in the face of this…this _experience_. Eren felt as if he were bewitched. He very much wanted Levi to feel the same.

“What are you on about now? Stop spouting shit, we need to go to Erwin.”

“For a highly decorated military officer, you sure have a dirty mouth.” If looks could kill, Eren would be a bloody mess on the floor right now. “I like it though.” Or not. There likely wouldn’t be anything left of him to make a mess. He would be utterly eradicated. Levi had quite a potent glare.

Eren held up his hands and walked backwards toward the door. He locked it, not missing the warning flare in Levi’s eyes as he did.

“I won’t try anything weird,” Eren promised. “I just didn’t want anyone to interrupt again as seems to be the pattern for today. So, what of it? Do you want to see what a demon really looks like, Levi?”

For a tense second, Levi didn’t react in any way. And then he nodded, a curt dip of his chin. That was all the permission Eren needed.

To be honest, he had originally had no intention of doing this yet. But he wanted Levi to see exactly what Eren was offering, the power that he would have at his disposal if only he were to agree to a contract. He wanted Levi to want him.

Eren may have showed off, just a little, as he changed. The shower of black feathers and the ominous wind were definitely unnecessary additions. But it was more than worth it to see the naked astonishment on Levi’s face, all wide eyes and parted lips, as he stared at Eren.

“You have…”

It was appropriate, given the Scouting Legion’s nature, that it was the dark wings neatly folded against Eren’s back that drew Levi’s interest the most. He spread them out, soft feathers turning razor-sharp as they extended to the sides in all their vicious glory. They were Eren’s favorite part as well.

Levi’s gaze lingered on Eren’s wings as he walked towards the special human. He could feel the power of this body thrumming across his skin, wild and free in a way that he couldn’t quite harness in any other incarnation. He wanted to fly.

No, he wanted to fly with Levi.

“Well? Have I convinced you yet?”

To Levi’s credit, he was quick to respond and his voice was steady as he did. “Your earlier stunts proved quite well that you aren’t human, Jaeger.”

Eren smiled, flashing serrated teeth that didn’t escape Levi’s notice. He obligingly opened his mouth only to close it with a chuckle when Levi grimaced. He was really cute, this human.

“Not of my nature. I was talking about your soul. Have I convinced you to be my contractor yet?”

His answer was a hard stare and an exasperated shake of the head.

“You’ve got a one-track mind, don’t you?” Levi drawled, just a little mocking. The _nerve_ of this man.

“What can I say, you’re very desirable.”

Paper-thin eyebrows rose high as Levi answered, “Do you even hear what comes out of your mouth?”

Eren winked at Levi and received a thoroughly unimpressed look for his efforts.

“You should put those away,” Levi said, nodding at Eren’s wings. He saw the man’s hands twitch as if to reach out and touch but he held them back and Eren didn’t offer. It wouldn’t do to ruin all of his mystery in one go, would it? “And return to how you looked before. Those clothes look like they belong in a sex dungeon.”

With great effort, Eren held back the suggestive counter that was on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t want to push any more than he did already. Not now.

That said, there was nothing wrong with dressing in skin-tight black. _Nothing_.

He assumed his human body with a sense of loss, regret at not even being able to fight a little after having to abstain from that form for so long gnawing at him. But the way Levi was regarding him, thoughtful and intense, quickly steered his mind to more pleasant waters.

“I’ll think about it,” Levi said before Eren could so much as utter a word. There was little doubt as to what he meant.

Eren knew that his answering smile was a little too wide to not be unsettling but he couldn’t help it. Anticipation filled him, stealing his breath. Levi would agree, he was sure of it.

“Levi…” Eren murmured, giddy and excited.

The man in question only scoffed.

“Calm the fuck down. I only said I’d think about it. Now stop dallying, we need to go.”

Eren followed without protest as Levi headed towards the door. He couldn’t even suppress his grin, not that he tried all that hard. Levi paused with his hand on the doorknob, looking over his shoulder with a frown.

“And it’s _Captain_ Levi, you shit.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the myriad of sexual innuendo coloring Eren’s ‘soul talk’ with Levi? Entirely intentional on my part. I regret nothing.


	9. Shifting Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a transition chapter. Not a lot happens and it’s relatively short but it’s necessary.
> 
> We have Mikasa POV again! I’ve been avoiding writing from her viewpoint since she’s a character I can’t quite _get_ for all that I love her. Even the first scene in this chapter was meant to be from Armin’s POV but then Mikasa took over and pretty much wrote herself. I like how it has turned out.

Mikasa never once regretted contracting with Eren.

Not when the shock of losing her family faded, not when Armin tried to point out the dangers of losing her soul and certainly not she saw Eren’s true nature which was dark and twisted and bright and glorious.

Mikasa wouldn’t, couldn’t regret Eren.

He had saved her, not through the physical act of preserving her life, but by staying with her in the aftermath, unwavering and unflinching. His presence was a promise, a guarantee that she would never be alone. Even the knowledge the Eren would take her soul one day was reassuring in a way because even in death, she would be with him.

Eren didn’t know this but he had already given Mikasa her wish. He and Armin were all the family she needed.

And she loved Armin, truly and wholly in the only way Mikasa knew how to love, but despite of that, the contract he had forged with Eren left a bitter taste in her mouth. Not because she doubted Eren’s intentions or Armin’s decisions but because until then, Eren had been _hers_ in a way that no one else could claim. That bond of him had been a privilege that only Mikasa possessed.

But that was selfish of her. She knew that and so did Armin, but there was only acceptance in his eyes when he looked at her and his gentle smiles were apologetic though he had nothing to apologize for.

He didn’t deserve her ire. So she made an effort to tone it down, to keep it from sharpening her face into hostile lines because yes, Eren was hers in a way that words couldn’t describe but Armin was hers too. Her dearest and oldest friend, a guide and a companion, all soft warmth and steady support, and she couldn’t do that to him, couldn’t hurt him through petty jealousy.

Because Armin was _Armin_ , and Mikasa loved him.

That was just it though. Mikasa could make exceptions for Armin, could fight the darker parts of her for the sake of bringing a smile to his sweet face, _but how dare_ -

How dare some midget Captain who meant nothing to her, to them, to _Eren_ , suddenly ruin the delicate balance of Mikasa’s life.

He had no claim to Eren. _None_.

And yet…

Mikasa didn’t realize she was snarling until Armin nudged her fist with his hand, bringing her back to reality which unfortunately still held the Scouting Legion Commander who had the gall to just stand there and look at Mikasa with an expression of mild concern, as if he hadn’t been responsible for the words that sent her over the edge in the first place.

He’d said that Eren demanded the Captain’s soul, that he had revealed himself and offered his help if Humanity’s Strongest gave away his soul.

Mikasa so desperately didn’t want to believe him. She couldn’t comprehend why Eren would need another when he had Mikasa and Armin were there for him, free and willing. Why weren’t they enough? How could they not be enough?

And yet, for all that she wanted to reject it, she knew that Commander Smith spoke the truth. She knew Eren all too well and while she couldn’t begin to imagine why he would want Captain Levi, she could easily picture him demanding that as price for his help.

Eren was neither nice nor kind. He had no reason need to help humanity.

She also remembered his words when he left them not too long ago.

_Armin. Mikasa. I need you both to trust me. If this works and you’re summoned by the commander, you may hear some unexpected things. Go along with it._

This most definitely fit. One look at the exasperated expression Armin wore was enough to assure her that he too had made the connection.

Had Eren really been planning this all along? Probably.

Why hadn’t he told them?

Mikasa almost growled before catching herself and apologized stiffly to Commander Smith. The man took it in stride. It was uncanny how calm and collected he appeared, as if a demon hadn’t approached him this morning and tried to strike a deal with him.

She let Armin deal with him, knowing that he could handle this matter far better than she could in her currently unsettled state. So she kept silent and observed, her glare morphing into a thoughtful frown and then right back into a glare as she saw some eerie resemblances in the two blonds. It wasn’t just the hair and the eyes but the way they held themselves, confident but unimposing, and discussed in calm, quiet tones their absent friends and the future of humanity. Commander Smith was the worse of the two but she could all too easily see in him a future Armin.

It was not a pleasant thought.

It was as if both of her boys – Eren wasn’t a boy in any sense of the word but he counted anyway – were determined to drive her crazy and give her grey hairs before she was twenty. Twats.

In the end, Armin convinced Commander Smith, not that the man seemed to need much convincing, that Eren was indeed a demon who granted protection and a wish in exchange for a soul. Armin didn’t give away much, insisting that it was a long story and Eren needed to be there to tell all of it.  The Commander didn’t argue, only nodded as if that made the perfect sense and left with a demand-in-disguise that they prepare to leave in half an hour and ‘please pack Jaeger’s things as well, would you?’

They agreed readily because this was what they also wanted.

Wasn’t it?

In the pregnant silence left in Smith’s wake, Armin took her hands and held them gently, a warm but empty comfort, and Mikasa, for a moment, allowed herself to lean into him and just _breathe_.

 

~

 

It wasn’t that Eren was having second thoughts but he was admittedly a little concerned.

It had been easy back there to demand Levi’s soul and promise him freedom in return. Caught up in the human’s magnetic draw, Eren had neglected to give any thought to the consequences of taking on a third contract.

It was his first time holding multiple contracts, all of his prior ones involving only the human who’s summoned him. Before his three-century stint in limbo, Eren didn’t think he even had the capability to forge more than one, maybe two, soulbonds. It was different now but while there was no question about his capacity, the reality of maintaining three contracts simultaneously was going to be less than rosy.

Eren didn’t have doubts about whether or not he’d be able to fulfill all three wishes, not when what Mikasa and Armin wanted from him and what he’d offered Levi were all so closely connected. Eradicating the titans would be the first big step in any case. But the titans themselves were the main problem. All three of his humans were soldiers with great likelihood of encountering titans and being killed by them. And Eren was contract-bound to protect them.

All of them.

At the same time.

Until their wishes were fulfilled, their safety was his responsibility.

He knew full well that it wouldn’t be easy to look after all of them but it wouldn’t be impossible either. He was a demon. He was _built_ to protect his contractors. All they had to do was call for him and he would be there, time and space be damned. Even if there came a time when they were all in danger, Eren would find a way to keep them all alive.

He had to because he wasn’t giving up on any three of them.

Armin and Mikasa were _his_ , and Levi _would_ be his.

Eren wouldn’t have it any other way.

He was greedy like that.

“Oi,” came the surly call to reality, accompanied by a pair of scowling eyes. “You just going to stand there and daydream for the rest of the day?” 

Eren silently took in Levi, clad in the signature cloak of the Scouting Legion. It suited him very well.

“You’re staring at me like a creep. Again. Keep that up and I’ll pluck out those pretty eyes of yours.”

He couldn’t have held back his grin if he wanted to.

“You think my eyes are pretty, _Captain_ Levi?” Eren purred the human’s rank, sweet and deliberate, delighting in the way Levi’s hands clenched and nostrils flared at that.

“Of course that’s what you focused on,” Levi muttered, looking very much like he’d love to slam his face against a wall or perhaps pluck out Eren’s eyes like he had promised.

“I won’t really mind the other thing either,” Eren said cheerfully, “You can take my eyes if you want. What would you do with them though? Keep them safe and pretty in a jar to carry with you? That would be awfully romantic.”

Levi was giving him that look again, the one that said that he couldn’t quite believe that Eren was for real.

“What the fuck is _wrong with you_?”

“A great many things,” Eren answered, smiling even wider. Levi growled.

Eren didn’t think he would ever become tired of this human but maybe that was just the infatuation talking.

“We don’t have time for this shit. Come on, we have to join Erwin and your…friends.”

Eren followed Levi through the rather unkempt building, his thoughts shifting from Levi to how Mikasa and Armin had fared against Smith. He was curious as to how much they’d discussed within this limited time. It couldn’t have been much. Yet, the orders clearly signaled that they were all going somewhere together, ostensibly to discuss Eren’s proposal, so he could only conclude that his humans had convinced the commander that Eren was serious.

Then there was the matter of Levi. Had Smith mentioned that to them? If he had, how would they have reacted?

As if summoned into existence by Eren’s thoughts, Mikasa and Armin came into view along with several adult members of the Legion including Commander Smith. One look at the eager worry on Armin’s face and the palpable tension radiating from Mikasa - particularly the latter - was enough to assure Eren that Smith had indeed mentioned the Levi thing to them.

He was an asshole for springing that on those two without warning.

Ah, well. Nothing new there.

Eren received some weird looks from the gathered Legion members other than Smith as he strode up to them with Levi. He recognized the woman who’d interrupted them before, now staring at them with wide eyes.

He gave them a snappy salute and with a quick glance at Smith’s unreadable face, went to join Mikasa and Armin where they hovered awkwardly at the fringe of the group.

“I feel like I owe you an apology,” Eren whispered to them, well aware that he sounded not the least bit apologetic. He couldn’t help it. He was too happy.

Armin’s expression grew exasperated, a not uncommon sight where Eren was concerned, but it was Mikasa’s reaction that stood out. She looked murderous and that was putting it lightly. Her tense body and gritted teeth were enough of a clue but it was the way her shadowed gaze diligently followed Levi’s form as he mounted his horse that clued Eren in to who she was mad at.

Her rage, even now, wasn’t at Eren but at Levi of all people. It shouldn’t surprise him but somehow it did. He also couldn’t help but think how she would react when Levi actually accepted his offer.

It was sure to be entertaining.

For now though, he had to calm her down before she did something ridiculous like insult the Scouting Legion’s revered captain. For all her control, Mikasa could be shockingly impulsive when angry.

Eren snaked an arm around her waist and drew her to him. She was stiff as a board for one long moment but as he held on, she relaxed, molding to his side as they’d done so many times in the past. Eren bumped his head against hers, smiling when she turned to look at him. This close, he could see the flashes of blue in her eyes and, more importantly, the potent fury that reigned in them, tightly controlled but on the verge of disaster.

It was a good look on her but now was not the time.

“It’s fine, ‘Kasa,” Eren murmured, “Trust me. No matter what, I won’t abandon you. Either of you.”

A scowl appeared at that, reminding Eren inexplicably of Levi.

“That’s not it,” she grumbled, almost too low to hear. “Why him?”

Eren bit back a smile and drew back to better look at her. If he didn’t know better, he’d say that she was pouting. The displeased purse of her lips sure made it seem that way.

“It’s complicated,” Eren answered, loud enough for Armin to hear as well. “I’ll tell you later.”

Eren stepped back from their pseudo-embrace but didn’t let go of Mikasa, instead keeping an arm loosely around her. She seemed quite happy with the arrangement. When Armin came to stand close to this other side, Eren took his hand as well, squeezing tightly in reassurance. Of the three of them, Armin worried the most, that brilliant mind of his often working against him.

“Everything will be fine,” Eren told them. He believed it too.

It was by accident that his gaze then fell on Levi but he was only too glad for it when he found the man looking right back, narrowed eyes fixed on Eren and his humans. He met that stare and held it, keeping his face blank with some effort, aware that they were out in public where it wouldn’t do to look at a highly respected officer like he wanted to eat him alive.

Neither of them looked away, Eren because he was nowhere near tired of looking at Levi and Levi because of stubbornness or anger he did not know. It would be too much to hope that he felt the same magnetic pull Eren did but he hoped anyway.

It was Smith who broke them up, his pleasant, booming voice announcing that they would now be leaving. He didn’t say where and no one asked. He didn’t explain the presence of three fresh recruits either and Eren, Mikasa and Armin received more questioning looks as they all mounted.

But no one stopped them or asked questions, and in the end, they simply followed Erwin Smith.

There was still a chance that the man would be trouble for Eren and his humans but something told him that that would not be the case.

 

~

 

It was to an old, isolated castle at a considerable distance from Trost that Smith led them, and from the murmurs among the Scouting Legion veterans, it seemed like the place was not unknown to them.

Squad Leader ‘Call-me-Hange’ Zoe, the only one to approach them, cheerfully informed them that it was the former headquarters of the Legion that had been discarded due to its inconvenient placement. Recognizing Eren and Mikasa from Trost, Hange had came to them and kept up a constant stream of mostly one-sided talk from about halfway through the ride. Most of it was about titans and Hange’s enthusiasm often reached disturbing levels, much to Eren’s amusement.

He had been confused about their gender in the beginning, the proportions of their body offering no clues. A direct question had solved that problem. Hange, it seemed, defied the gender binary.

But for all that they seemed friendly and more than a little crazy, Eren didn’t miss the way they inserted subtle queries into their conversation about the nature of Eren and his humans’ presence with the Legion. They never pushed though, seemingly content to wait for Smith to tell them. Eren thought that they would be far less patient if something about titans were involved. Their loud laments about their recently killed ‘babies’ proved that quite well.

Hange was lucky though. While five of the people, including Petra, were summarily ordered by Captain Levi to clean up the dust-laden, weed-covered castle, Hange, Levi and a big, burly man even taller than Smith were all instructed to accompany Smith and Eren’s group to a spacious room that would have been more impressive had it not been covered in an inch-thick layer of dust.

Eren was pretty sure that he saw Levi twitch at the sight.

“ _What_ ,” Levi began in a low, threatening voice, “are we doing here?”

Smith was nonplussed.

“Trost is hardly secure. If this discussion is as important as I think it will be, then this is the best place for it. You might need to stay a while as well.”

If looks could kill, Smith would be a greasy spot on the dusty floor. Eren, having already been on its receiving end once already, was feeling just a little jealous.

“An important discussion,” Levi deadpanned. It was impressive how he managed to treat Smith so casually without coming off as disrespectful. “How about we have that in a clean room where we won’t suffocate from dust five minutes into talking.”

As if on cue, Armin sneezed.

“Except that shit there,” Levi added, pointing at Eren. “I doubt even that would kill him.”

Beside him, Mikasa bristled but Eren only grinned. Hange and the big guy shot him confused looks but neither said anything.

They all just stood there, waiting for some unknown cue, until Levi lost his patience and went looking for cleaning supplies.

And that was how Eren found himself sweeping the floor with some of the Scouting Legion’s elites, all of them at least temporarily cowed by a short man with stormy eyes and a temper to match.

He was marvelous.

Eren truly had chosen well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren has a bad habit of finding angry humans cute. Idk. I think the Eren-Levi interactions should be consistently present from now on.
> 
> In case you were wondering who are the scouts with EMA, it’s Erwin, Levi, Hange, Mike, Moblit, Petra, Oluo, Erd and Gunther.


	10. Fire Over Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That still doesn’t answer why it has to be you, Levi.” Smith narrowed his eyes as he shifted his gaze from Levi to Eren. “None of us are strangers to suffering. Why does it have to be Levi and not me for instance?”
> 
> This man had brass balls. 
> 
> “Would you be willing to give it to me?” Eren had to ask even though he felt that he already knew the answer.
> 
> “If it would ensure humanity’s liberation, then yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK WHO’S LATE AS FUCK. Tbh, the manga’s basement reveals have completely fucked up every damn plan I had for this story’s endgame and now I’m just floundering. I don’t want to go full AU but I also can’t conceive of a way to reconcile canon and my ideas for this fic. Great.
> 
> So much talking in this chapter. I hate dialogue-heavy scenes but what can ya do?

It took longer than expected to clean the room enough to satisfy Levi. Eren did notice that the captain worked as hard as any of them if not more so. But even then, it was with a disgusted grimace that Levi finally perched his fine ass on one of the couches. Head tilted and legs crossed, he looked like a king holding court.

Eren knew he was being creepy with his incessant staring but he’d be damned if he could help it. He was sure that he’d spent more time watching Levi clean that doing it himself. Maybe that was why Mikasa glared so much at the man.

Ah, well. She’d get over it eventually.

As the others settled down, Eren took a seat beside Levi, as close as he could get away with, and smiled innocently at the human’s unimpressed expression. They were close enough for Eren to feel the heat of the human’s body. But Levi didn’t change seats nor did he tell Eren to get away so he counted that as a win. Mikasa sat down on Eren’s other side, murderous tension radiating from every inch of her. It was honestly quite the sight so he refrained from trying to soothe her.

Armin was to their right along with Hange. The big blond, whose name Eren had learned from Hange to be Mike, chose to stand beside Erwin. Looming by the Scouting Legion’s Commander, he cut quite the menacing figure but Eren was unaffected.

Because he was starting to realize that it was not Levi with his prodigious skill, Hange with her probing questions or Mike with his huge build that was the true danger. It was Erwin Smith, the man with the affable smile and cool composure who already gazed at Eren with calculating eyes.

If Eren were honest, he hadn’t put a lot of thought into how he would handle the Legion. His shock and awe technique earlier had worked well enough but in its aftermath, he had no plans on how to proceed. He would be content to follow whatever the humans came up with so long as it did not interfere with his own goals. And now, looking at Smith, he had no doubt that the man would be only too happy to come up with something. Technically, Eren had _offered_ but it was nonetheless jarring.

Eren had caught him off guard earlier. Even then Smith had been startlingly swift to regain his composure but the man who sat before him now was a whole other monster. Eren could feel it on a level that transcended the visual; Erwin Smith’s soul was stained with blood but they were shallow stains, the bulk of it protected by unwavering righteousness and stone-cold determination. It was impressive but unappealing. He much preferred Levi who was soaked to the core with the pain of his actions.

That said, he really did hope that sweet little Armin didn’t grow up to be like that.

It was Hange who first spoke, their playfulness from before still in effect.

“Sooo, anyone gonna tell us why we’re here with three baby cadets? Something tells me it’s just Mike and me in the dark. Oh!” They suddenly shot straight up in their seat, eyes widening comically except for the unsettling light dawning on them. “Is it The Titan? My precious sweetheart! Did you find out anything? These two were there that day. Do they know something?! Why didn’t you tell me, oh all the things I want to-”

“Hange.” They shut their mouth with a click at Smith’s toneless admonishment, shrugging unapologetically. No one was surprised save for Armin who seemed a little terrified as he gaped at them. Beside Eren, Levi looked like he was controlling himself with supreme willpower.

It took Eren a moment to figure out that ‘The Titan’ referred to the one who saved Trost. He had heard that next month’s scouting expedition would be to try and hunt down that titan but they were all unconfirmed rumors. Still, it didn’t seem too unlikely seeing as how its actions and very existence still mystified humanity.

“You’re not wrong, Squad Leader,” Eren answered when Smith remained silent. “We do have information regarding that titan. But before that, I think there are some things that Commander Smith needs to tell you.”

Armin grimaced at his words, probably wishing that he’d done the talking instead. Mike’s eyes narrowed suspiciously whereas Hange’s excitement didn’t quite cover their puzzlement. He also heard Levi snort in what might have been amusement.

Erwin remained impassive, his eyes fixed on Eren who stared back. Finally, Smith nodded and began to speak.

“This morning, Cadet Jaeger paid me an unusual visit that has shaken the very foundations of what I considered to be reality.”

A heavy hush fell in the room in the wake of that dramatic statement. Eren thought that Smith seemed quite unaffected for a man who claimed to be so shaken but hey, what did he know? Humans came in all sorts after all.

“Eren, would you please show them?”

He’d expected it to come to this.

He was getting real tired of turning into a bird though. It wasn’t even a particularly impressive one. Maybe this time, he could try something different.

Eren’s repertoire of animal forms wasn’t all that large. He was pretty damn old by human standards but not so much by demon ones. He was powerful enough to be reckoned with but he had yet to pick up some of the parlor tricks his kind was fond of using.

Still, he had something up his sleeve that would do just fine.

Eren stood up with a subtle, soothing touch on Mikasa’s tense arm. All eyes were on him as he walked to the center of the room. He sketched a mocking bow to Smith and with a smirk, concurred.

“As you wish.”                                    

And then he shifted.

The new body felt odd and unwieldy for one brief instant before instinct kicked in and made everything well. This form wasn’t as compact and free as a hawk’s but Eren could feel that the strength coiled in these sleek muscles that remembered the swift savagery they were capable of inflicting.

It was a beautiful animal, the wolf.

He bared his teeth in a canine grin and turned, slowly, deliberately pivoting his body. Hange was standing, one hand stretched towards him. Mike had his blades drawn but seemed uncertain what to do with it. Armin and Mikasa both gazed at him with a blend of awe and fondness. Even Smith’s eyes were wide, his mouth parted ever so slightly.

But it was on Levi that Eren’s gaze settled. The human he coveted was staring unabashedly, his eyes wandering over every inch of Eren’s new form.

“Not bad,” Eren heard him mutter in a tone that said far more than the words.

 _Come to me_ , Eren wanted to tell him. _I’ll give you all that you want. Just be mine._

“What the titan-loving fuck is happening?” Hange shouted, distinctly exhilarated, and Eren took that as his cue to turn back.

The human form still felt the most natural after his real one, probably because that’s what he started out as.

“I’m a demon,” Eren said, turning not to Hange but to Smith who gazed back evenly. “As for what that means, it’s simple. I make contracts with human beings. Souls in exchange for wishes. I will do everything within my considerable power to fulfill that wish and afterwards I will take my contracted human’s soul. Mikasa and Armin are both my contractors. You can ask them if you doubt me.”

It was clear that at least Mike was too stunned for doubts. Hange though had no such compunctions, their recovery time on par with Smith’s except in a drastically different way. Eren started in spite of himself as rough hands grabbed him by the shoulders and whirled him around, bringing him face to face with a positively deranged looking Hange. Their eyes were wide and bulging, lit up with a strange intensity.

They were smiling. It was fucking creepy.

Eren had to admit that he sort of liked them for it. It wasn’t often that he met such quirky humans.

Hange didn’t speak though, just stared intently at Eren from entirely too close for a long, few moments where the silence in the room could be felt like a physical weight. It was Levi, of all people, who broke it.

“That’s enough, Shitty Glasses. You can dissect him later.”

“Excuse you,” Eren returned, not looking away from Hange. “No one other than you is cutting me apart, Captain.”

That caused a quite a stir, mostly from Mikasa who actually _growled_. Eren looked to see her glaring daggers at Levi who took it impassively despite the confusion he must be feeling. Armin looked exasperated yet again.

But at least it got Hange to back off, though they did so after a curious glance between Eren and Levi.

“Erwin.” It was Mike who spoke. He’d put his blades away but was eyeing Eren with distrust. It was the most normal reaction he’d received and was somewhat satisfying in that regard. “What is this?”

Smith didn’t respond right away and Eren took that time to return to his seat, slightly nudging Mikasa who was looking supremely disgruntled. He took one of her tightly fisted hands in his, gently stroking her knuckles as they waited for Smith to speak.

“As I said, Eren visited me this morning and showed me a version of what you just saw. Levi happened to join us and after a certain unfortunate accident, we also witnessed Eren healing in mere moments from a deep knife wound.” Personally, Eren considered that incident to be anything but unfortunate but with the way Mikasa tensed even more, not everyone felt the same. “He said he’d clarify further once we gathered Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert but after a brief conversation with them, I deemed this conversation to be better suited for a more isolated environment. And so here we are.”

It was a very succinct explanation that left out most of the details. Eren had his own doubts about precisely why Smith brought them all to this place. It was either that the man was paranoid or he thought it’d be easier this way to dispatch of Eren and his humans if trouble arose. He’d find out soon enough.

“It’s all true,” Armin finally spoke up, audibly nervous but also resolute. “It was Mikasa who accidentally summoned Eren when Maria fell. She’s his first contractor. I met him soon afterwards but it was only some days ago that I also entered into a contract with him. Commander Smith, Eren has been sneaking outside Wall Rose to kill titans ever since we knew him. They don’t pay any attention to him, not even when he attacks them. You must already know of his kill count in Trost and that’s not even the full extent of his abilities. Please – I know this all seems insane but he can really help humanity. He’s the-”

“Perfect weapon,” Levi interjected, glancing sideways at Eren. “Yeah, we get it. Tell me, demon, what’s the extent of your healing?”

Eren sent a mock-frown at Levi. He _did_ have a name.

“I’m immortal. There’s nothing that can be done to kill me. I heal instantly from most physical damage and even complete obliteration of this body will only be a temporary setback. Bottom line, I can’t die.”

There was more silence. All eyes were on Smith.

“What exactly does Levi have to do with it?” Mike asked, “It’s clear that there’s something going on between him and…Eren.”

Big guy was smart. Was it a blond thing? Nah, there was Jean to prove that theory wrong.

For once, Smith was utterly forthright in his answer.

“Eren has demanded Levi’s soul in exchange for humanity’s freedom.”

It was impressive how quickly the room became somber at the announcement. Even Hange was frowning thoughtfully. But Levi looked unruffled.

Eren hadn’t told Smith of what he would give in exchange for Levi’s soul so Levi himself must have told him on the way here. Truth be told, it didn’t have to be any particular wish. Eren had just blurted out what he thought Levi would want and hit jackpot. But he wasn’t about to reveal that he really just desperately wanted this one human for himself.

“I wouldn’t call it a demand,” Eren said lightly, unperturbed by the doubled suspicion in Mike’s eyes. “It was a proposal. You can take it or leave it but I would much rather prefer the former option.”

“Why Levi?” Smith asked, no judgment in his voice, only curiosity.

The human in question answered before Eren could.

“Apparently, people’s suffering is appetizing to his kind.”

Eren grimaced at the less than pretty wording but couldn’t deny that it was the essence of it. He was glad that Levi hadn’t gone into the details of what Eren told him. That seemed private, something for only the two of them to know.

Their little secret.

Eren had to fight off a giddy grin.

“That still doesn’t answer why it has to be you, Levi.” Smith narrowed his eyes as he shifted his gaze from Levi to Eren. “None of us are strangers to suffering. Why does it have to be Levi and not me for instance?”

This man had brass balls.

“Would you be willing to give it to me?” Eren had to ask even though he felt that he already knew the answer.

“If it would ensure humanity’s liberation, then yes.”

“And would you just take my word for it?”

“Certainly not. We would require proof of the abilities you just mentioned.”

“Fair enough. I’ll be happy to cooperate.”

Smith nodded with finality and neither Mike nor Hange contested though the former looked uneasy and the latter questioning.

“But you still haven’t answered my initial question. Why are you so fixated on Levi?”

He wasn’t going to let that go, was he?

“You have a very lovely soul, Commander Smith. I’m sure it would taste very good. But you see…” Eren turned to Levi and found the man staring right back with a mighty scowl.  He grinned, slow and deliberate. “I prefer fire over ice.”

 

~

 

From there, the conversation turned to more practical topics as Armin took it upon himself, with the occasional input from Eren and Mikasa, to relay what they had learned about Grisha Jaeger and their four odd comrades.

To the officers’ credit, they listened without interruptions though that could be because of how each new piece of information was more shocking than the last. By the time they’d finished, there were wide eyes and gaping mouths that gave way soon enough into a torrent of questions. Hange asked most of them but their earlier exuberance was significantly toned down. Eren had to wonder which one was the real Hange; the enthusiastic lunatic or the sharp-eyed intellectual.

It was probably both.

Eren answered most of the questions, being the one who’d experienced firsthand most of the titan shifter’s actions. Mike shot him a look that seemed almost impressed as he described tracking the Trost titan by smell but made no comment.

Mikasa’s voice was coolly composed as she spoke of her foster father but her clenched fists escaped no one’s notice.

It was a while before the questions trickled to a pause and tense silence took its place.

All things considered, it had gone better he would have imagined. There was far less skepticism that he was used to and he wondered how much of that was due to Smith’s and Levi’s acceptance of him. But now that the immediate frenzy was over, Eren was starting to see that it would be better if he left them for a while. He had no illusions about having their trust nor did he need it. They could use him as long as he could use them in turn.

That’s why he had no problem getting out of their hair while they discussed the next course of action.

Six pairs of eyes turned to him as he suddenly stood up. Eren grinned at them and motioned towards the door.

“I have a feeling you’d rather discuss the demon without the demon present. I’ll just…go explore the castle or something.”

He turned towards the door and Mikasa also got up. A shuffle of feet indicated that Armin had as well. That was fine since they were also unlikely to be included in their superior’s talk when both of them had made it abundantly clear that they were with Eren. But his assumption was proven wrong when Smith’s voice rang out, thanking Eren while asking his two humans to stay behind for a little longer.

He patted Mikasa on the head as she grumpily sat back down and after a fleeting moment of eye-contact with Armin, Eren was out the door and in the ill-kept corridor.

Idly, he wondered if Levi would have them clean the whole place. That would take a while but Smith seemed to imply that they would be staying here for some time as well.

What did the rest of the humans in the 104th think of that? Would they wonder where the three of them had vanished to?

Of course they would. It wasn’t like their disappearance was inconspicuous. But he’d deal with that when he had to, or better yet, leave it to Armin to sort out.

Behind him, the door opened and closed. For a second, Eren thought that Mikasa had actually followed him to get that upcoming confrontation over with but then a distinctively alluring scent hit him. He turned around, the beginnings of a wild grin on his lips, and came face-to-face with none other than Levi.

“Hello,” Eren greeted softly, carefully in an attempt to bridle the riotous excitement that welled up in him at being alone with Levi again. “Not that I’m complaining, far from it, but why are you here?”

A brief look of amused exasperation crossed Levi’s face, gone as soon as Eren spotted it. He felt his grin widen impossibly.

“Sweet shit, would you stop that?” Levi snapped but to no avail. His scowl darkened. “And I’m here because I want to keep an eye on you. Can’t have you roaming around unsupervised.”

“Oh? But aren’t you needed inside?”

“Erwin will fill me in later.”

Eren hummed, pleased beyond words that Levi had _chosen_ to come out here, to follow him, to be alone with him.

“I’m glad then,” he all but purred, delighted at the way Levi’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “To have you keep me company is far, far better than wandering by my lonesome.”

“You…just don’t give up, do you?”

“Do you want me to?”

Levi wisely opted not to answer, instead turning on his heels and walking down the corridor. Eren didn’t have to be told to follow.

 

~

 

Not even five minutes in, Levi was regretting his decision.

Never mind that regret in general was an emotion he tried, often in vain, to avoid; Eren actually-a-demon Jaeger had been one he regretted meeting from the moment he accosted Levi in that titan-infested street in Trost with his big eyes and bigger smile.

Creepy little shit.

And yet here he was, willingly spending time with the boy because… hell, he didn’t even know. Erwin hadn’t told him to follow Eren, had in fact seemed as surprised as the rest when Levi rose to do so. It was maybe a little preposterous that he would rather go with a demon who wanted his soul than to sit in a meeting that would involve the issue of said soul.

Ah, fuck, it was giving him a headache just thinking that all this shit was real.

That was why he was better off skipping that meeting. It wasn’t that Levi didn’t care but he trusted Erwin, Hange and Mike to sort it all out. Meanwhile, there was something else that Levi had to decide, though he knew that if everything Eren claimed was true, then his decision was already made.

Levi didn’t matter, not his life and certainly not his fucking soul, in the face of achieving the dream that so many had died for.

It didn’t strike him as counterproductive to use a demon and whatever that entailed for humanity’s sake. He was too practical for that.

Behind him, Jaeger was quiet for once even though his eyes burned a hole in Levi’s skull. He kept on walking, resisting the urge to turn around and glare. Instead he unleashed his ire on the disgusting walls all around him as if he could it strip them clean with his glare alone.

It didn’t take long before they came across another room. Levi reached for the grimy handle with an unconcealed grimace only to start back as a dark blur whipped by him. Jaeger, who had been a few steps behind him not even a second ago, now stood with his hand wrapped around the doorknob, pushing it open with a creaking sound.

Levi found himself looking up at a crooked smile.

“You hate dirt, don’t you?”

He frowned, not quite sure what to think of Jaeger showing that level of awareness. A little filth wouldn’t actually bother him all that much but it was nice of Jaeger to help out and he didn’t think he wanted to deal with a _nice_ Jaeger.

The kid who claimed to not be a kid was enough trouble already.

He nodded in thanks and stepped inside, followed by Jaeger. The door clicked close behind them with strange finality.

Levi tried really hard not to think about what had happened the last time he’d been alone in a room with Jaeger. And this time, he had no one but himself to blame for the situation. What the fuck was he doing?

It wasn’t much of a question. He knew, to some extent, what he was doing and why he was doing it. Beyond the desire to learn more about his potential contract with the demon lay Levi’s rather atypical interest in the guy. It had been sparked that day in Trost but what had originated as something wholly negative had turned into something far more neutral during the course of the events that followed – events that Levi still had trouble believing if he thought too much on it.

He turned around and Jaeger was too damned close _again_ , mere inches away from Levi as he stared at him with half-lidded eerie gold eyes. The demon was completely frozen, not even breathing, as he devoured Levi with his gaze.

It was unreal, the way this guy looked at him. It was all hunger and raw need, vicious in its intensity.

Levi wholeheartedly believed him when he said he wanted his soul because those eyes gave him no choice but to believe.

A flash of a vision appeared, Eren on his knees and clinging to Levi, looking up at him with that same damned fire in his eyes. It was harder than it should have been to suppress the shiver that threatened to seize his body.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Levi asked once he was sure his voice wouldn’t waver.

“Looking at you,” Jaeger replied shamelessly. “I really love looking at you.”

He…he really didn’t know what to do with this one.

“The way you talk, I can’t decide if you want to suck my soul or my dick.”

There were times, quite often and usually inopportune, when Levi’s mouth worked independently of his brain. Usually, he was fine with it and took a measure of sick satisfaction from the appalled looks he could draw out from prissy little noble shits.

But there were other times, few and far in between, when such slips made him want to shove a pot poker down his throat and permanently disable his vocal chords.

This particular instance belonged to the latter category, not because he didn’t mean what he said but because it had the worst effect possible on Jaeger.

Golden eyes darkened, turning into molten amber as they bored into Levi with newfound heat.

He swallowed in spite of himself.

“I wouldn’t mind either way,” Eren whispered, too low, too intimate, the sound freezing Levi in place. “Sometimes, we mix the two. Mikasa and Armin are children and I have some lines I won’t cross. But you… you’re different. And very beautiful.”

For the life of him, Levi couldn’t decide if it was anger or something far more sinister that kept him passive as Eren’s hands came up to his cheeks. Rough thumbs brushed over his skin, unexpectedly tender.

“I want you. In any way I can have you. Isn’t that natural?”

Looking into Eren’s glowing eyes, Levi had no trouble believing his words.

Slowly, deliberately, Eren dipped his head for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I actually stopped there. Oops. On the bright side, we’ve moved from Jaeger to Eren.


	11. Secret Keeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Impatient shit. I don’t trust you enough to take you at your word. It’s all good to say that you can kill titans like troublesome flies but until I see it with my own eyes, I won’t believe it. And afterwards, I’ll let you know if you can suck my soul.”
> 
> “Meanwhile, I could suck your dick?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, being late af again.

“Stop,” said Levi.

And Eren stopped.

He let go of Levi and backed away, folding his hands against his chest. His palms still tingled with the heat from Levi’s face.

He’d so, _so_ badly wanted a taste. But that was no excuse or losing control like that. For all that Eren liked to push and push until something gave or broke, he didn’t want to break Levi. He wanted him in all his defiant glory.

“My apologies. I got carried away.”

Oddly enough, Levi didn’t look angry but thoughtful.

“You’re not sorry,” he stated matter-of-factly. Eren didn’t deny it, only shrugged with a wry smile. “But you stopped when I asked.”

It was like humans lost all expectations of him the moment he dropped the word ‘demon’. Honestly, it would be insulting if Eren didn’t have his fair share of grievous immorality.

“As I said, I have lines I will not cross. Why aren’t you angry?”

This time, it was Levi who shrugged and Eren thought he saw the hint of a smile on his pale face.

“I’m just not. You’re interesting, Jaeger.”

Well.

That was unexpected.

Eren dug his fingers into his palm, breathing deep in an attempt to rid himself of the primal wants that still stirred within. This man was dangerous in the way he affected Eren but he couldn’t even bring himself to complain.

“Thank you, Levi. Now-” Eren smirked, purposely pushing away the charged atmosphere from before. “About that fiery soul of yours...?”

The heated tension between them didn’t quite dissipate with his conspicuous redirection but it did abate somewhat as seen in the slightly less tense set of Levi’s jaw. Pale eyes never once stopped watching Eren as if he were a particularly dangerous animal but the lines around them did soften with what was undoubtedly amusement.

“One track mind. I said I’d think about it, didn’t I?”

“How long will you make me wait?”

Eren was aware, and Levi must be even more so, that the humans were on a tight schedule. The newly revealed information was far from inconsequential and while it might take some extensive questioning before Smith and the rest believed his humans, Eren had a feeling that they wouldn’t be so foolish as to dismiss it outright. If anything, the look in Smith’s eyes in that room all but convinced Eren that he wouldn’t mind putting the resident demon to good use.

That was fine so long as Levi agreed to the contract.

The man before him sighed, more exasperated than resigned.

“Impatient shit. I don’t trust you enough to take you at your word. It’s all good to say that you can kill titans like troublesome flies but until I see it with my own eyes, I won’t believe it. And afterwards, I’ll let you know if you can suck my soul.”

Fair enough. It was also what Smith had said.

“Meanwhile, I could suck your dick?” Eren offered, widening his eyes and smiling as innocently as he was capable of. Levi looked only disturbed.

“Stop, that’s creepy. You look like a demented puppy. And _no_.”

Eren pouted and Levi looked physically pained.

This was shaping up to be a very good day.

For a moment, as the silence between them began to be awkward in addition to tense, Eren was afraid that Levi would leave, having decided that he had enough of Eren for the time being. But the human stayed in place, idly shifting in place and shamelessly staring at Eren all the while.

Eren happily returned the scrutiny.

“Why didn’t you show them?” Levi asked eventually. There was little emotion in his voice but his curiosity was evident in the keenness of his gaze. Eren was just confused.

“Show them…what?”

Levi frowned, as if it was Eren’s fault or being obstinate rather than his own for being so vague. Honestly, this man.

“Your wings. And claws and teeth and bondage gear. The form you showed me back in Trost this morning.”

Eren couldn’t have helped his scowl if he wanted to.

“It’s not bondage gear,” he all but snarled but the smug, subtle smirk on Levi’s face gave him another idea. “Unless you’re into that in which case, I’ll modify it suitably.”

It was immensely satisfying to see that smirk morph into a thin line, accompanied by a heated glare. It would have been more intimidating if not for the slightest tint of pink on Levi’s cheeks and the telltale widening of his pupils. He couldn’t smell any arousal but maybe…

“Huh,” Eren drawled, the other’s original question all but forgotten. “So you _are_ into that?”

“You’re not answering my question.”

It didn’t escape him that Levi didn’t say no.

That was interesting. Very much so. It was also a topic for another time.

“There was no need,” Eren replied, “Shape-shifting was enough to show them I wasn’t human. Anything more can wait. Besides, that’s not something I’ll just casually show someone outside of battle. You have seen it, as have Mikasa and Armin. It’s special.”

And it was but Eren didn’t mention that there was more to him that what he’d shown any of them. A demon had his secrets after all.

Levi scoffed at the word ‘special’ but nodded in acceptance all the same.

“If you have more questions, I’m willing to answer them. More or less.”

Anything to stretch out their time together and by the look the man shot him, he wasn’t unaware of Eren’s intention. But Levi stayed all the same and that was what mattered.

The first question was pertinent, predictable and also one Eren suspected was being discussed by the ones they’d left behind.

“What will you do if I refuse?”

“That’s not up to me. I do hate the titans for what they’ve done to this world but I’m here for Mikasa and Armin. She called me forth and now they both anchor me here. They each have their wishes and if you decide you have no need of me, then I’ll just focus on those desires.”

“And do those desires align with the interests of the Scouting Legion?”

Levi looked like he already knew the answer.

“Maybe, maybe not. It depends on them and to a lesser extent on Smith.”

Eren wouldn’t reveal their wishes to him; that would be rude. He was reasonably sure that Mikasa was unlikely to reveal her wish but Armin just might if he deemed it advantageous. But either way, that was their decision.

“That doesn’t tell me shit, demon.”

“I do have a name,” Eren pointed out mildly.

“Let’s get one thing straight, _Eren_. I’ve heard your proposal and ludicrous as it might sound, I’m considering it. But don’t try to pressure me. I don’t take kindly to being backed into a corner.”

It was probably inappropriate that the coldly fierce look Levi leveled on him made Eren want to taste that ferocity for himself but all things considered, it was par for the course when it came to Eren’s reactions to this man.

“That’s not what I’m trying to do,” he told Levi, stifling the urge to step towards him. There was dangerously little space between them as it was. “I won’t lie. I really want you to agree. But a contract can’t be forced and while I’m not above some persuasion, you’ve already seen my way of going about that and you seem to be handling it well. But what happens if you refuse really is out of my hands. If Mikasa and Armin want me to stay and fight, I will. But only in the capacity of a human soldier. If they wish to leave, I will take them and go. It’s as simple as that.”

“What makes you think we’d let you go?”

Eren smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant one.

“What makes you think you could stop us?”

They held each other’s gazes for a few seconds, not hostile, merely assessing. It was Levi who conceded with a nod and a rueful quirk of lips.

“Yeah, I don’t think we could.”

“If it makes you feel any better, the two of them are as concerned as you lot. This whole thing was Armin’s idea after all. Even without my abilities, I can kill them just fine and Mikasa is a force to be reckoned with. Armin is not as effective on the battlefield but he’s got a razor-sharp mind. We’re assets to you no matter how you look at it. All that free information isn’t a waste either, right.”

“Fair enough. I’m confused though. If you’re already bonded to those two brats but still want to add me to your little collection, what happens if our wishes conflict? What if I ask that you stay while the other two want to leave?”

Even as Levi’s questions brought up some of Eren’s own concerns with holding multiple contracts, he couldn’t help but be pleased by the thought Levi was putting into it all.

Surely that was a positive sign?

“I’d be in trouble. That’s why making multiple contracts is always a calculated risk. If it’s just one, I only need to simply stay by them. In fact, it’s hard to be separated from them. Two or more and I get a certain leeway with the physical distance but too much conflict can cause practical problems. With Mikasa and Armin, I don’t need to worry. They will always have a measure of harmony. The only risk is during fights where protecting both is harder than just one but I’ll manage.”

Levi had a little furrow between his brows but he didn’t seem confused. Eren assumed he was thinking it over.

“That’s part of your job? Protecting them?”

“Of course. How can I fulfill the wish of a dead human?”

“And take their soul,” Levi added, sarcasm audible.

“That too.”

“Considering their situations – and mine if I’m to agree – full protection would be impossible in the field. We’d be fighting man-eating monsters for god’s sake,” Levi paused, narrowing his eyes at Eren. “Your expression practically screams that I’m wrong. Alright, spill.”

He was so demanding. Eren could easily see that carrying over into their contracted lives.

“That’s a little complicated. But I guess you have a right to know. As you’ve probably guessed, a demonic contract isn’t a tangible thing. It’s spiritual. Now, I don’t have a soul but I can nonetheless bond with yours. I can _feel_ your contracts as invisible chains that bind me to this world, less like shackles and more like… like connecting ropes. They connect us, soul to, well, whatever concoction that makes up my core. It’s weird. But let’s forget that. To answer your question, those bonds allow me to mess around with time and space a little. If the need is dire, I can be by your side in the blink of an eye. And if you’re wondering how I’ll know when it’s needed, let’s just say that I’m preternaturally attuned to you, body and mind.”

Eren wasn’t sure of his explanation was sufficient and clear enough to not be confusing. It was his first time sharing that to another in such detail and most of it was what that woman had told him. The rest he’d figured out himself.

But Levi again seemed merely thoughtful. He made an oddly endearing sight, slouched in the middle of the room with his hands crossed over his chest and a growing scowl on his face. A pint-sized ball of sweet menace.

The scowl remained even when he shifted his gaze from the floor and back to Eren.

“That sounds like an uncomfortably intimate process.” He held up a hand to preemptively halt Eren’s response. “If you say something about inappropriate about intimacy, I _will_ gut you. Even though you’ll probably like it. Little shit. Anyway, I don’t like it but I can see how it works and it makes sense. If it helps, I’m unlikely to need your protection more than the brats if it comes to that… what? Why are you grinning at me like that?”

Eren grinned even wider, even going as far as to dramatically clasp his hands in front of him.

“I’m just happy you’re so considerate of me, Captain. My heart’s all fluttering. Demons have feelings too you know?”

He wholly deserved the blow that swept his legs off from under him. Levi was _fast_.

Eren maintained his grinned as he made himself comfortable on the floor, staring up at Levi who stared right back with an unimpressed expression.

“Get up, the floor’s filthy.”

“You’re the one who put me here. Besides,” he paused to trail his eyes along Levi’s compact form, slow, heated and entirely deliberate in his perusal. “I like the view.”

For all that he anticipated a foot slamming down on his mid-section, he was disappointed when all Levi did was bend down and bodily haul him up, the muscles of his arm bulging even through the layers of clothing. Eren put a hand on one firm bicep, gently tracing a finger along the coarse jacket. Levi didn’t stop him.

“This what you called persuasion, Jaeger? Some half-assed attempts at seduction?” The words were harsh but Levi’s voice was sinfully soft. Eren wanted to drink it like wine.

“Is it working?”

Eren’s eyes helplessly flickered to Levi’s lips. They were a pale pink, chapped and thin, and in that moment, Eren wanted nothing more than to feel them under his teeth. Their near-kiss from earlier was a physical weight between them.

For one, perfect instant, Eren thought that Levi would let him close the scant inches between them.

Instead, he found himself forcefully pushed to the wall, a smirking human some feet away from him. The distance was painful and unsurprising.

“No. It’s not.”

He would swear on his wings that Levi actually strutted as he walked out the door.

Eren simply followed him, hopelessly ensnared and as determined as ever.

 

~

 

They didn’t get far before running into Armin and Mikasa. The two snapped a salute at the sight of Levi which he dismissed just as promptly. Eren wasted no time scanning their expressions for any hint of trouble. Mikasa’s eyes are storm clouds and her typical nonchalance was nowhere to be seen in the glare that she shot Levi, the blatant hostility at odds with her picture-perfect salute. It was Armin’s cheery expression that reassured Eren that everything went more or less well with the Legion.

He could easily guess what Mikasa’s problem was.

“Commander Smith asked us to ask you to join them, sir,” Armin told Levi, shifting uncomfortably under the captain’s scrutiny. Levi didn’t answer or leave immediately, instead taking his time studying Eren’s humans. Armin started fidgeting while Mikasa’s glare grew even deadlier. Eren wasn’t sure but he thought he heard Levi snort as he finally deigned to comply with Smith’s wishes.

Eren followed him with his eyes until he was out of sight. He was aware of Mikasa doing the same but for very different reasons.

He stifled the disappointment that reminded him of a petulant child whose newest toy was taken away – not the most flattering analogy but one that was accurate all the same – and turned to the two, smiling happily.

Neither Mikasa’s weighted glare nor Armin’s exasperated sigh daunted him.

“Yes, yes I know,” Eren said in answer to unspoken words. “We need to talk. Let’s go find a room.”

He led them to the same room he’d just vacated, already knowing that this conversation wouldn’t be as pleasant as the one with Levi had been. But it would probably be equally amusing. Mikasa was cute when she was jealous.

Sure enough, Eren felt himself pulled into a rough embrace the moment Armin closed the door behind them. He slammed into Mikasa with a gasp, her rock-hard body not making the best of cushions. He kept smiling as he returned the hug with equal strength, squeezing tight enough to steal her breath.

“Why him?” Mikasa muttered right into his ear. There was an audible growl in her voice.

Not only jealous, but possessive. So damn cute.

Eren winked at Armin who had buried his face in his palm and was peeking at the two of them from between his fingers.

“He smells delicious,” Eren told her, smoothing a hand down her back in the way he knew she liked. “And I’m weak to temptation.”

She pulled away, the glare softening in spite of herself though she still seemed far from pleased. Armin had stopped hiding and was looking at Eren with naked curiosity.

“I don’t think I’ve told you this but each human soul has a unique flavor. Even reborn souls differ with each cycle. And sometimes, very rarely, a demon will come across a human whose core will seem like it’s made for them. Think of it like a special banquet prepared with only your tastes in mind. That’s what Levi is to me. I couldn’t stay away if I wanted to.”

He’d wanted to get the explanation out of the way before Armin started interrogating about the whole thing but watching Mikasa’s face grow progressively darker with each word, Eren wondered if he should have calmed down a bit beforehand so that his fervor was less obvious.

…Nah.

It was fun to watch her stew.

Armin, in contrast, had perked up at the new information and was assessing it with a familiar glint in his eyes. Eren had a sudden flash of Erwin Smith with a bowl cut and a blush.

He couldn’t decide if it was the most hilarious or most atrocious sight ever conjured by his imagination.

It was still hard not to burst into hysterical laughter but Armin spoke up soon enough to save Eren the trouble of further straining his illusion of sanity.

“Did you plan this when you left to see the Commander this morning?”

Eren nodded, remembering the way that encounter had escalated and smiling at his time with Levi.

“Kind of. I didn’t have a solid plan but well, let’s just say everything worked out well.”

“You have that weird smile on your face,” Mikasa accused. “What exactly happened, Eren?”

“Well, there were misunderstandings and stabbings and it was glorious.”

For the fraction of a second, the silence was absolute and then Mikasa erupted.

“ _The midget bastard stabbed you?”_

Her voice was unnaturally quiet but the rage on her face was all the more dangerous for its outward calmness. Armin was on disaster control before Eren could blink.

“Mikasa, calm down.” He wrapped both arms around one of hers and shot Eren a chastising look. “You know how Eren is. He probably went asking for it and then enjoyed it. I know you don’t like Captain Levi but think of this rationally, would you?”

Mikasa was anything but rational when Eren or Armin was involved. It was one of her most interesting traits.

Pushing aside the part of him that wanted to prod at her even more, Eren stepped forward and pressed his forehead to hers. One of his hands found and gripped Armin’s shoulder.

“Armin’s right, Mika. I provoked Levi. I’m still doing it but he’s getting used to it. I probably won’t stop until he gives in and maybe not even then. I know you’re not keen on me making more contracts. I know even Armin’s contract pisses you off. But sweetheart, as pleased as I am that you’re so possessive, you need to let go a little.” He cupped her face with his free hand, not once taking his eyes off hers. “You’ll always be mine, no matter who else I take on. And I’ll never leave you either. Your wish will be fulfilled and I will take you soul for myself. Even in death, you’ll be with me.”

Eren drew back, still cupping her cheek. He looked at Armin who was gazing back with a sad smile.

“Both of you. I promise. So have faith in me.”

He was aware, in a distant way that held no real sway on him, that this was not the most reassuring of statements. He was also certain that this was not how most demons handled their prey.

But Eren was Eren, and candidness was his preferred weapon.

He knew they understood. It was right there in Armin’s somber nod and Mikasa’s fond sigh.

“I still don’t like it,” she stated finally but her scowl was gone and she was far less tense as she leaned into Armin.

“I know,” Eren answered, grinning. “Suck it up, princess.”

Armin intervened before any verbal sparring could break out.

“ _Okay_ , now that we’ve settled that, why don’t you tell us about this morning in detail, Eren? The meeting just now went well by the way. They’re reacting extremely well and while none of them seem happy about the soul business, I don’t think it’s enough to make them reject you. Commander Smith said he’ll let us know soon. Until then, we have time to kill and you have stories to tell.”

And so Eren told them.

He did leave out some things though. After all, there was no need to see if Mikasa would actually try to kill Levi.

Yet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't lie, a large part of why I'm so slow with this story is that I've got sucked into Yuri on Ice and am working on a fic - posted every other Saturday - with average chapter lengths of 7k. Oops.

**Author's Note:**

> I tweaked the details of Carla’s death a bit for plot purposes. And yes, Eren takes advantage of a shocked Mikasa to form a contract. He’s a douche but hey, _demon_. Speaking of which, next chapter we’ll see some Mikasa POV.
> 
> Feedback is greatly appreciated. _Greatly._


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